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President
2011-2012 - Sydne McMahon
Profile written
by Wayne Mostecky, SDGC Secretary
What do you think of when you hear
the word Sydney? Perhaps, as do so
many, the wonder down under that
is the beautiful Australian capital
city might come to mind. But when
members of the San Diego Gator Club
hear it, chances are that thoughts
turn to Sydne McMahon, who spells
her name just a bit differently,
and currently serves as our President-Elect
to Mr. Mike Bordon.
And trying
to closely follow along as you
listened to Sydne tell her life
story, would be as difficult as
trying to follow along as you kept
your eye on one of those marsupials
that bounces around that city of
the same name—the one she describes
as her favorite place in the world.
After being born to a native New
Yorker mom and an Australian-born
dad who moved to Manhattan after
meeting her mom while he was working
there, Sydne’s journey has
been one of N.Y. baby Gator smiles,
to young lady Gator frequent flyer
miles.
Sydne moved
to Stuart, Florida at the age of
11 from her birthplace of Glen
Cove, NY, only to move again, this
time to California at age 16, transferring
from Martin County High School
(FL) to South Pasadena High School
in Los Angeles. Her time spent
in Florida was special enough to
leave a lasting impression, however,
one that would ultimately lure her
back to an education and experience
that only a Florida Gator can appreciate.
Though she considered attending some
California Universities, she chose
the community college route so she
could transfer to Florida, where “the
rest,” you might say, “is
History.”
Yes, Sydne’s
History degree somehow took off
and landed her in her current job
as an IT Project Manager for a
San Diego insurance company. In
2006 she decided to come and check
out a viewing party at Players,
where she was greeted by then officer
Ed Tennant, who introduced to her
now close friend and game-day buddy,
Marlene Pearah.
“Some of my closest friendships
have been formed because of the San
Diego Gator Club,” said Sydne. “I
can't imagine spending my Saturday's
in the fall anywhere else. I'd love
to see our club grow with more active
Gators and plan events that are not
sports focused.”
Whether going for
runs along the coast, hanging out
with friends, shopping, attending
concerts or sporting events, or just
dreaming of a gorgeous Sydney afternoon,
Sydne McMahon loves San Diego, loves
the Gator Club, and would love to
meet you at our next SDGC event!
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Webmaster
- Marshall
Spevak
Profile written by Wayne Mostecky,
SDGC Secretary
This
terrific looking website you are viewing
is made possible by our very own top-notch
Webmaster, Marshall Spevak. Marshall
designed our site, easily one of the
nicest sites of any local Gator Club
in the world, from scratch, using
suggestions and input from many
of our local club leaders and his
own creative imagination. He works
diligently to maintain the site
with updated details regarding
schedules, scores, photos, and
other pertinent event information
on a very timely basis. He also
continuously upgrades and improves
the site to include an ever increasing
plethora of useful and entertaining
material.
And as he meets the needs, wants,
and deadlines of various club officers,
he must balance his efforts to
effectively manage his own business
and personal affairs. Marshall
is currently an Associate Publisher
at Elsevier Public Safety Publications.
He earned his Bachelors degree
in Liberal Arts and Sciences at
UF in 1982, after attending Wolfson
Senior High School in Jacksonville,
FL.
Marshall also enjoys,
when he manages to tear himself
away from his computer screen,
photography, surfing, travel, his
daugther, Annika and his
two rescued greyhounds, Gia and
Bentley. He celebrated his ten
year anniversary last October with
his wife Liz, whom he married on
a day that the Gators beat Auburn
24-10 in 1997! So if you see Marshall
or his lovely wife enjoying a game
at Players or any other Gator Club
event, say hello to them and let
him know how much the SDGC appreciates
what a great face his work has
put on our great club!
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Academic
Affairs VP - Peggy Poulsen
Profile written by Wayne Mostecky,
SDGC Secretary
As
the Club's VP of Academic Affairs Peggy
primarily focuses on its academic scholarship
funds, which now include one in memory
or our recently departed and beloved
member, Monty Pearah. Our Club, as
with all of the Clubs in Region 8 (west
of the Mississippi River), is striving
to take a more pro-active role
in raising more funds for needy,
worthy Gator students. "We
have a wonderful and strong social
component (in our Club), and I
would like to strengthen the academic
support side," Peggy said
of her role within our organization.
Peggy is
a Gator true and through. Although
she was born in New York City
("New York City?!"),
she attended Ft. Lauderdale High
School before attending, and then
earning a BA in Political Science
from, UF in 1970. She presently
owns a graphic design company in
Mission Hills and lives in Poway.
When not involved in Club activities
or running her company, she enjoys
reading, gardening, volunteering,
and watching all kinds of college
sports.
Peggy has
other loves as well, namely her
converted "Great
Gator Mater" hubby Bob, actually
a U of Maine alum and local attorney,
and her daughter Rachel, who works
at the San Diego Zoo. She also
loves cats (don't Gators eat cats?)...
all cats, really, but particularly
her very own fat cat named Fudge.
Gator Nation will only survive
and thrive with a healthy crop
of future Gators, and programs
like local Gator Club scholarship
funds can only help that long term
objective. So when you see Peggy,
be sure to thank her for the efforts
she makes to raise money so UF
will continue to be an option for
all deserving students!
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Music
Coordinator - Ken Wilder
Profile written by Wayne Mostecky,
SDGC Secretary
"Who's
that man sitting at the corner table
by himself?," I am often
asked. "If I had buck each time
a new member asked me that I could
eat the Players buffet for free each
week!" (-SDGC Officer Wayne
Mostecky)
Well,
that man is Ken Wilder, the Club
Music Coordinator, or as he prefers,
simply "The Music Man." And
he's not as alone as he may appear
to be. He sits with his passion.
He sits with his spirit. He sits
with his sound system. He loves it.
And he's not always physically alone,
either. He brings his grandchildren
to the Club, and many veteran members
stop by during the course of a viewing
party to say hello to Ken. He is
a former UF Marching Band member.
He is a former SDGC President. These
qualifications bring with them the
unique ability for Ken to infuse
a special atmosphere of Gator pride,
Gator spirit, and Gator glory to
our events. He knows what songs to
play, and when. He knows what cheers
to start, and when. Without Ken,
Saturdays at the West Coast Swamp
would certainly not be the same.
Ken is a charter
member of our local Gator club,
which is over 14 years running
now. When not at the Club, Ken
is a substitute teacher in the
Santee School District. He is a
family man, married for 43 years,
with two children and three grandchildren,
one of whom is his special video
game partner, Jacob. Ken is from
Illinois, and went to High School
in Los Angeles before attending UF
and graduating in 1971. It would
be easy to take the "Sounds
of the Swamp" for granted. But
we are loyal Gators, and we appreciate
the special magic Ken brings to our
Club each week. Be sure to find the
time to stop by his table and let
him know that. He'd love to meet
you!
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Young
Alumni Coordinator
- Taylor Gilliland
As Young Alumni Coordinator, Taylor
will be working to recruit more
recent Gator grads to join the
club and to organize social and
networking events for young alumni.
He hopes to boost attendance at
the monthly happy hours and to
bring UF professors to San Diego
for seminars and speaking events.
With his background in science,
he will also be working to create
a forum for SD Gators involved
in all aspects of the field to
network and support each other.
Taylor is always looking for new
and fun ways to engage other young
alumni, so be sure to let him know
your ideas at the next football
game or shoot him an email.
Taylor was born and raised in
Sarasota, FL and graduated from
Sarasota High School. He earned
his B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology with a Minor in Applied
and Professional Ethics from UF
in 2007. While in Gainesville,
Taylor was a leader of Outdoor
Adventure Recreation, The GatorTeens
Volunteer Program, and the Student
Global AIDS Campaign. Now as a
graduate student at UCSD, Taylor
is working on his PhD in Biomedical
Sciences and feels like he will
be in school forever! Who knows,
maybe he'll wind up back at UF...
this time at the front of the classroom.
When he's not toiling away in
his research lab or watching Gator
football, Taylor can be found out
on the water sea kayaking, playing
kayak polo, or kayak surfing (just
about anything involving a kayak).
He also is a coordinator for an
international student advocacy
group working to improve access
to essential medicines in the developing
world.
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At-large
Director and Region 8 Young Alumni
Council Representative - Malachi
Bierstein
Profile written by Wayne Mostecky,
SDGC Secretary
Well we may officially be The
Gators, but there appears to be
a "Globetrotter" in our
midst. No, not a Harlem Globetrotter,
but an actual Globe Trotter. Let's
just say that Malachi Bierstein,
one of three At-Large Directors
of the San Diego Gator Club, travels
A LOT these days. But it hasn't
always been that way. Our Gator
Club's "At-Large Directors" are
generally three people who have
previously served as Club President,
which Malachi did during the '04-'05
campaign. As a member of our Board
of Directors, Malachi ("Mal")
helps out with Club functions as
he can and has a vote in any voting
matter.
In addition to his title and job
duties for our local Club, Mal
also serves as the UFAA Young Alumni
Council Representative for Region
8, which consists of all the Gator
Clubs west of the Mississippi River.
You can find out more information
on young alumni programs at http://www.ufalumni.ufl.edu/youngalumni/default.aspx.
Earlier this year, Mal spearheaded
the launch of the SDGC's involvement
in the local Red Cross "Ready
When the Time Comes" program,
which utilizes organizations such
as ours to staff local shelters
in the event of a disaster such
as wild fires or the like. His
current job as Sr. Manager, Global
Accounts for San Diego based DivX,
Inc. has him traveling so much
he is forced to miss some of our
club events, but you can bet he
more than makes up for any fun
he may have missed while he was
away by hangin' with the many Gators
who have come to know him and his
enthusiastic support of the University
and the Gators.
Mal earned his BS in Industrial & Systems
Engineering from UF in 2000, and
currently lives in Clairemont Mesa
with his two beloved dogs, Alli
and Tory. When in town and not
partying with the Gator faithful,
Mal enjoys music, surfing, and
flag football. Say hi to Mal, and
thank him for all he's done for
the Club and his continued support...
if you can catch him between flights!
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At-large
Director - Devin
Lebrun
Profile written by Wayne Mostecky,
SDGC Secretary
In June 2008,
Devin completed his second consecutive
term as President of the San
Diego Gator Club, and had previously
spent one year as President Elect
under then President Ed Tennant.
As our President, Devin coordinated
activities of officers and volunteers,
and was the club liaison with
the University of Florida Alumni
Association. Among his duties
and goals were to increase club
attendance, diversity, and UFAA
memberships. Devin’s
goal was to create a fun, open,
and exciting atmosphere so Gators
could feel at home in the "West
Coast Swamp." He did a great
job of that, as attendance reached
an all-time high for both football
and basketball viewing parties
during his time as President.
Devin is
from Tampa, FL, and earned his
UF Electrical Engineering BS
degree in 2001, and his MS in
2003. He currently works as a
Medical Device Engineer and lives
in Pacific Beach with his wife
of three years, Linnea, and his
dog Mukana. When asked what he
likes to do to relax when he's
not staying fit and active by
participating in individual and
team sports and activities, Devin
just said, "I dream
big dreams!"
Devin will
now serve as one of the club’s
three Directors At Large. When
you see Devin around at a Club
event, be sure to thank him for
all he has done to make our great
Club run as smoothly as it has.
Let him know how much we all
appreciate his stepping up and
serving as President Elect and/or
President for three straight
years!
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At-large
Director, Bena Leslie
Profile written by Wayne
Mostecky, SDGC Secretary
After attending
Nova High School in Davie, FL,
Bena earned her BA in Business
Administration from UF in 2003.
These days, she is putting her
degree to work as a Business Manager
for I.O. Environmental and Infrastructer,
an environmental consulting firm.
In addition, she still utilizes
her "Girl Friday" attributes
by working as a property manager,
and by stepping in as a teacher
or assistant when necessary. Bena
is single, and lives in the amazing
community of Normal Heights, a
place where she says there is still
the feel of "everybody knows
your name."
"Every year
I get more and more involved with
UF and football," Bena said. "Seems
like graduating was just the beginning
of my fun college experience!"
So if you
can't join her for happy hour,
be sure to at least say hello
to her at the next club event,
and thank her for all she has
done. Thank you, Bena!
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At-Large-Director, Mike Bordon
Mike
grew up in Miami Beach as a brainwashed
Seminole fan, thanks to his older
brother, an alum of the rival
university. At the end of high
school he fought off the hypnosis
and made the logical choice to
attend the University of Florida.
While a student, the Gators racked
up THREE national championships,
which made leaving that much
more difficult after graduating
in 2007 with a degree in Computer
Engineering. After a year in
Melbourne (Florida, not Australia),
Mike moved to beautiful San Diego,
where he now enjoys Gator Chomping
strangers and living life to
the fullest. His other passions
include Padres baseball, Chargers
football, happy hours, good music,
cheap chicken wings, and NASCAR
(yes, NASCAR).
Mike has been involved in the
Gator Club for as long as he's
lived in San Diego. He assumed
the role of Young Alumni Coordinator
midway through the 2008 football
season, and now takes on the title
of President for 2010-2011.
You
can catch Mike at almost every
Gator Club event, and he is always
looking forward to meeting new
Gators. If you see him around,
introduce yourself, buy him a
beer, throw in your ideas for
club events, buy him a shot,
or any combination of the above.
If you don't see him around,
then say "hi" on
Facebook, and start coming to more
events!
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Director
of Outreach - Kathlene
Stakley
Kathlene
puts her full-time career as an
Event Coordinator to good use at
the San Diego Gator Club. As the
Director of Outreach for the San
Diego Gator Club, Kathlene focuses
on coordinating local events with
distinguished UF professors and
alumni when they are in town. She
also helps coordinate other events
for the club, mainly the annual
baseball game with the Padres!
Kathlene
was born and raised in Naples,
Florida by die hard Seminole
Fans (her father is a graduate
of FSU). However, when it came
time to choose a college, she
chose to leave her past behind
and commit to being a Florida
Gator and she has never looked
back. She graduated with a
degree in Business Administration
and German (yes, German!) from
UF in 2005. Most of her free
time in college was spent working
at the Stephen C. O’Connell
Center, which is where she developed
her love of coordinating events.
Kathlene now works full-time
for Viejas Arena on San Diego
State University’s campus.
She lives in Rancho Bernardo
with her husband, Will, two year
old daughter Madison, and their
dog Kadi.
In her free-time, she enjoys
spending time with her family,
travelling, eating exotic food
and running. Kathlene and her
family can be seen at most Gator
Club events supporting their
favorite teams.
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Merchandise
Coordinator -
Mandy Tennant
Amanda,
or Mandy to her Orange and Blue
network, has never attended University
of Florida. She hasn't even lived
in the great Sunshine State.
What she does have is a love
for UF, and a rabid fascination
with Gator Sports! She is also
a Life member of University of
Florida Alumni Association. Now...not
being an alumni but having membership...Life
Membership, at that...I'd say that
the rest of you Alumni who aren't
members need to be ashamed of yourselves!
She loves to travel to Gainseville
for Alumni events, Women's Clinic
in June, and to any Gator game,
anywhere.
Mandy has been an Officer for
SDGC off and on for eight years,
in many different roles. When not
serving as an Officer, she is behind
the scenes volunteering for events,
viewing parties, and helps in any
other way she is needed. This is
Mandy's second year as Merchandise
Coordinator, and she will be responsible
for custom ordering and inventory
control.
Because she lives
over an hour North of San Diego,
Mandy may not be at every viewing
party, so be sure to say hello
and let her know of any ideas or
requests you may have when you
do see her! As an single, full-time
working mother of three (one at
home,) Mandy is extremely busy
juggling day to day adventures!
(Sorry guys, she's happily dating
someone!) But always has time for
the Gator Nation.
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Merchandise
Co-Chair - Bob Poulsen
Bob,
a University of Maine grad, is
a converted Gator through his wife,
Peggy, the Gator Club VP for Academic
Affairs and took this position
with the club because he already
has a closet full of Gator polo
shirts, sweatshirts and hats.
A former college sports information
director and sportswriter/photographer,
he is now a staff attorney for
the San Diego Superior Court. His
love of college football is also
fulfilled as a “Red Coat” committee
member for both the San Diego Holiday
Bowl and Poinsettia Bowl and this
year is chairman of the Holiday
Bowl Kickoff Luncheon.
It will be
fun to help provide loyal San Diego
Gator fans with the latest and
most fashionable Gator gear for
the upcoming season!
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