Republican Forum Staff Roster

Forum Executive SysOps:

Bruce Patterson, Forum Administrator

Bruce is the Contract Holder and Forum Administrator for the Republican Forum and owner of the associated website RepublicanForum.com. He has been involved in the Republican Party since 1980, has managed two Republican Campaigns, worked for the King County Republican Party in Seattle, Washington, served as a National Delegate, and worked one session for the Washington State Legislature.

Bruce works for an international corporation installing Air Traffic Control Equipment. He has been traveling full time since Jan 1991 often connecting to the forums via cellular modem with a laptop.He has been the Forum Manager of this forum since Dec. 7, 1998.

Neil Xenos (SysOp Emeritus)

Neil passed away on July 25, 29006. He was a long time member of this both this Forum and CompuServe. And as a political conservative, he has been a registered Republican for more than 30 years. He served as a former SysOp of the now defunct NavCIS Forum and spent a three year stint as library SysOp in the FISHING and OUTDOOR Forums.

His experience with computers goes back to RCA in the late 50's and has been "on-line" since the early days of ARCNET. As a retired division manager for a large poultry processor He now spends his time pursuing his interests in astronomy, religion and Middle Eastern archeology in addition to his interests in computers and communications.

His education includes degree work in Political Science and Ancient Middle Eastern religions, as well as a certificate course in Business management.

Jim Sondergeld

Jim Sondergeld was born in the small town of Wenatchee, Washington in the early 1960s, and grew up in that last outpost of Norman Rockwell America. Graduating high school with honors, Jim eschewed the local junior college and attended Washington State University, where he earned a cum laude Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. He added his CPA certification a year later.

After four years in the salt mines of public accounting Jim seized the opportunity to get into accounting management in private industry, where he served in the mortgage/real estate and technology sectors for a decade. He is currently the controller for a Seattle area manufacturing company.

On the home front, Jim is sixteen years into a lifetime with his beloved wife, and together they are raising two precocious kids of their own, at least one of whom just might be a SysOp himself one day. A Christian of twenty-seven years, a Republican since the dawn of the Reagan era, and a CompuServer since 1992, Jim is the proprietor of his blog Hard Starboard, which he refers to as "the Republican Forum's outpost in the blogosphere" and "your one-stop shop for commentary, TV and movie reviews, more links than a sausage warehouse, and whatever other maunderings come to my increasingly unfocused mind." .
Write to Jim by clicking here!

Rich Whaley

Richard H. Whaley retired from the Army after 22+ years wandering around the world. He was forced into using computers on his next-to-last assignment where he worked on the Force Structure for his Branch and was involved heavily in rewriting military doctrine and training-he spent a tour at the National Training Center where he established the Army-wide training standards for his Branch. He is married with four kids who also have the wander lust: one daughter thinks nothing of heading to Australia or Fiji and Samoa. He is involved in Church volunteer work, a gardener, an avid reader of politics, and leans toward the conservative end of the political spectrum. He is also pleased to "announce" his last daughter's pending marriage this June, 2006! His son is a SSG with the Guard and has completed a tour in Iraq. Rich now has two grandsons--without question, the cutest boys you have ever seen! Write a message to Rich by clicking here!

Ted C. Hall, SysOp

The USAF kept Ted quiet for eighteen of his twenty year stint by making him a "Voting Officer" which meant he got people registered to vote and, by law, expressed no opinions of his own politically. After being gagged for all that time he was quite surprised to find he had some fairly concrete opinions hidden.

Ted's a Republican Party precinct rep and State Convention Delegate.

He makes his living supporting computer systems at a State MR facility. With two preschoolers (actually they are in K3 and K4 classes already) and a constant 6-9 hour class load, his copious free time is spread out quite thinly.

Ted is working (30 years and counting) on an undergraduate degree in Business Management with a double major in Communication Information Systems.

During the monsoon season Ted volunteers as a Red Cross Disaster Worker and provides amateur radio support to the Hurricane shelters. He's active in his Masonic Lodge, several ham radio clubs and occasionally puts on a musical presentation for the clients Music Club at the MR center (guitar and voice)

Ted has, in his "checkered" past, worked as a HQ Engineering & Installation Division Quality Assurance Manager, Navigational & Weather Systems repair technician, AF OSHA inspector, editor and technical writer for Air Force manuals and regulations, E&I Team Chief, RadioShack Computer Specalist, plumber, construction laborer, produce handler at a farmer's market, mechanic, and photo journalist.

Ted's current hobbies (subject to change at whim) are centered around playing and collecting guitars, target shooting and competition, a 22' sailboat and amateur radio....with a half build radio controlled glider on hold for warmer weather.

Andrea Kálmán, Sysop

Andrea Kálmán was born in Hungary, schools in different countries. Worked as a fashion designer/directrice in Zurich and Munich. Change to a dating service with computer and psychological tests in Zurich, both fascinated her, people and computer. Shortly legal secretary for 2 lawyers.

Married 1978 in California, husband aerospace engineer, one daughter.1982 naturalization and registration to the Republican Party. Andrea's first computer was a used 8088 for correspondence.Next computer in 1994 was a 386 with Windows 3.1 and finally a mouse! With the 486/66 came here first modem and selling a British Astrology software in USA and Canada on the web.

Her first membership in March 1995 was with AOL, second was Compuserve. Andrea sysoped between August 1995 and present in 6 different Compuserve forums using German, English and Hungarian, one of them a German computer magazine forum where she was also the contractor.

She had fun with testing as a Microsoft beta tester for Windows98, 98SE and Millennium, Norton2002 and Compuserve and AOL and once a hardware tester for a home phone/network for3com/Airway. Office and web design classes in California.

Vacation apartment rental to tourists from Europe until 2002 Travels: Hungary, Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria, Italy,France, Belgium, Holland, England, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Mexico, Bahamas.USA: New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Maui/Hawaii.

Andrea's hobbies: computer upgrades, digital camera, machine embroidery and design, remodeling projects, cooking, foreign cultures, travel, music, books, antiques. Write a message to Andrea by clicking here!

Forum SysOps:

Naomi Roberts, Chat SysOp

Naomi Roberts, born in New York, has lived in Northeast Florida now for more than 30 years. She is happily married to Steve, a retired Navy pilot, and has two extraordinary children. A full-time mother, she's a devotee of Rush Limbaugh and Mark Steyn.

In her youth, Naomi was a Democrat and a liberal. While raising her children she had to reexamine her liberal views and came to the conclusion they were illogical and harmful if put into practice. She has held a several different positions in her local Federated Republican Women's Club, is a precinct committeeman, and a board member of her county's Republican Executive Committee.

Naomi is a volunteer to the max - having served as an ombudsman for her husband's squadron, volunteer worker for Navy Relief, den mother to her son's BSA troop, president of the PTO at her daughter's school, an elected, unpaid, school board member. She has been a volunteer tutor for English literacy and in 2004 was honored with Tutor of the Year for 2003. She is currently involved in a community mentoring program and mentors two sisters. She has actively worked in campaigns since 1994. She has had an esoteric education, and is an avid reader, currently focusing on history.

The Internet has made the whole world her oyster. She became a CompuServe member in 1994, and has moderated a long-running discussion group that originated in the old, now-defunct Townhall Forum as the Lunch Bunch. When Townhall instituted a surcharge to drive out the riffraff, her group moved to the Republican Forum where they have met weekly for the past several years.

Naomi has an unique type of SysOp position with us, rather than working the message boards, she is working in the Chat Rooms, so unlike the rest of us you may not aways see her with a (SysOp) hat, and you may not see a lot of her on the message boards.

If you want to meet Naomi, drop by her weekly chat in the Cloakroom, 8:00 am Saturday (Eastern Time) for one hour. You will have a good time! we guarantee it.

Jack E. Buttram, SysOp Emeritus

Jack was born in Roanoke VA 1932 and educated (more or less) in the Virginia public schools. He took his B.A. in broadcasting from Bob Jones University 1953; International School of Law - Washington DC; Member Writer's Guild of America East. Authored scripts for CBS Radio's 'SUSPENSE'. Public relations in Washington office of Hill & Knowlton Public Relations, Wagner and Baroody, and GM (Sen. George Murphy) Washington Consultants.

Political experience started with the Goldwater for President Committee in 1964, followed by Deputy Director of P/R for Republican National Committee, Press Secretary for Sen. Strom Thurmond, Sen. Paul Fannin, Campaign press aide stints for Sen. Bob Griffin, Sen. Glenn Beall. White House service for Amb. Anne Armstrong during Nixon Administration.

Registered Foreign Agent for Saudi Arabia, Republic of China (Taiwan), Democratic Unionist Party and Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee (Native Americans). He's been the Executive Director of Friends of Free China since 1976. Also has fulfilled public affairs assignments for Chamber of Commerce of the U.S., American Enterprise Institute and American Association of Christian Schools. Presently heads his own public affairs and media relations consulting firm.

He's a member of the Association of Former Senate Aides (EX-SOB's); The University Club of Washington DC; holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating with some 5000+ flight hours, and is a licensed professional (General) and Amateur (Extra) class radio operator. He and Barbara have five children - four have served as missionaries in overseas assignments and one is a special education public school teacher. They have thirteen grandchildren... and a dog named "Lizzie."

Dave Cunningham comes from a long line of New England Republicans. His education includes a B.S. from MIT in Physics. He was Managing Editor of "The Tech Engineering News" there, and active in many areas of study. He was active in Republican politics in Connecticut, where he served in a number of capacities including Justice of the Peace, and delegate to many conventions. He now lives in Florida, where his quiet life is now punctuated by two of his wife's grand-nephews (4 and 6). On CompuServe, he established the Collectibles Forums, which reached nearly four million messages before the great reshuffling.

He is also a member of the Association of OnLine Appraisers. If anyone needs a lifeline on "Millionaire," he is an excellent choice.

Stephen S. Johnson, SysOp

Stephen Johnson is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and currently resides just outside Atlanta. Stephen is a graduate of the Hollins Communications Research Institute in Virginia. He is a member of the Georgia Republican Party and has served as a delegate to his county and district Republican conventions since 1993. He is also a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA). Stephen is a puppy raiser for Southeastern Guide Dogs, based in Palmetto, Florida, which trains and donates black and yellow Labrador Retreivers as guides for the blind.

Stephen has worked in the medical technology and telecommunications fields. Stephen's fulltime occupation is Provisioning Engineer in the Network Operations Center of MediaOne, now merged with AT&T Broadband as of June 2000. Like the former MediaOne, AT&T Broadband will provide cable, internet, and residential telephony services throughout North Georgia. Stephen's interests include early American history, writing, technology, marksmanship, mountain climbing, working out, the G. Gordon Liddy Show and collecting American memorabilia. Stephen also serves as the Section Leader for Section 4, "Pentagon/State".

Jennifer Crawford, SysOp

Jennifer Crawford is from Richmond, Indiana. She is married and has two children. Jennifer enjoys reading, outdoor sports, politics, music, and of course, CompuServe. She works for the United States Postal Service and also owns a small business which she runs out of her home.

Jennifer is a conservative Christian and is passionate about freedom and Free Enterprise. Her home is the Republican Party, and she is determined to encourage Republicans to keep their focus on lower taxes and smaller government.

Carl Feick was born and raised in Sandusky, Ohio halfway between Cleveland and Toledo right on Lake Erie. Graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a BS in Civil Engineering. Was Active Duty Navy for 4 years and Reserve Duty for 4 more after that. Added Professional Engineer and land Surveyor Licenced to practice in Ohio in the 1980's and joined the family construction business that has been in the family since 1852, when two brothers came from Germany and founded the business.

Started using computers in college with punch cards, but prefered the school HP desktop using cassette tape drives for program/data storage. Has setup and networked all the computers in the company offices since 1983.

As an Engineer and Surveyor have been involved in the design and construction of Buildings, subdivisions, including all utilities, Have designed Storm systems to minimize pollution of streams working with the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, and the state equivalants of same.

At home Carl is the father of three, volunteers at bingo for his Church and the local Elks, and is an active member of the local Republican Party.

Forum Staff:

Kay Ryan, Staff

Kay Ryan was born in Cleveland, Ohio but soon moved to Brooklyn, New York and attended all Catholic Schools from Holy Cross to St. John's University.

She grew up with four brothers all of whom were in different branches of the Military; grandparents and my father's brother, Colonel Bill, all lived together in the family compound. Raised in a Republican fortress in Liberal Brooklyn New York, Kay learned early on how to confront the Lefties with relish.

She worked in several jobs in the financial district of Lower Manhattan until Kay married a Union delegate and had two boys. After seven years of a difficult marriage that ended in divorce, Kay's innate independence took over. In order to support two boys in the manner they had become accustomed, she bartended in a College Pub/Restaurant near the Brooklyn College campus. That experience led to the ownership of two Pub/Restaurants, one in Flatbush and the other on Long Island near her own home.

Today she's retired from the Restaurant business with a profit and works at home for her sons' Construction Business... both sons are moonlighting..they are presently two of New York's bravest first responders..FDNY.

Rodney Mathieu, Staff

Rodney Mathieu was born and raised in the Royal Gorge region of Colorado. From the day of conception Rodney was a Conservative.

Rodney enjoys fly-fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and adrenaline filled rides in the mountains on an ATV.

Rodney is also a small business owner in a metropolitan area, and believes that government should be governed by the taxpayer.

Rodney also believes that this country needs Immigration Reform, and his main backstop is Congressman Tom Tancredo in Colorado's 6th.