JEFF CARLON - PresidenT

Jeff remembers the first meeting he and his family came to, One of the clubs members stood up and asked if he could introduce them to everyone. He told the story of how he had spent the weekend with Jeff’s son as his dive buddy during the open water portion of their certification and he knew they would be a good fit with the club. He was right and the warm reception everyone gave them that night will never be forgotten. This is the feeling Jeff wants everyone to feel when they come to the club. The feeling of no matter what background, political affiliation, or religious belief, we all share the same common goal. “We love to dive.” This is OUR club and we all have a stake in its success. The first rule Jeff made as President is to make sure that before every meeting, he has an opportunity to say hi to everyone and welcome anyone who is there for the first time. Let them know we are glad they decided to check us out and he invites you all to join him.

The President presides at club meetings, board meetings, and special events.  The President is also the corporate representative at all functions.

Lauren Bociaga - Vice President

Lauren learned how to dive in 2015 when her then-boyfriend (now husband!) asked if she wanted to do something different, and they fell in love with the sport. Most of Lauren’s dives have been in the cold waters of our beautiful Pacific Ocean in the Channel and Catalina Islands, and recently she enjoyed her first dip in the warm bath called the Caribbean. There will be a lot more that in the future! Lauren is so glad she found a home with like-minded divers at AVDD and looks forward to many dives with them and with you.

The Vice President is in charge of organizing our yearly membership dive, accurately tracking memberships, and providing membership updates (number of members, new members, etc.) at each monthly club or board meeting.  The Vice President also prepares and ensures delivery of membership packages to new members.

Robert Wisdom - Treasurer, MSD

Robert is the Treasurer for Antelope Valley Desert Divers. He has held this position since 2009. Robert holds a Master Scuba Diver certification and has been diving for 11 years. When he is not performing his duties for the club as Treasurer, he has other hobbies he enjoys, including bowling, fishing, golfing, line dancing, camping and many other things. He has 4 children and currently 1 granddaughter.  Robert is the only diver in his family and joined the club to find other divers to dive with.

The Treasurer collects dues and all other club monies, maintains the clubs savings and checking accounts, and makes facility reservations for special events.  The Treasurer also presents a brief finincial report at each club and board meeting and prepares a yearly written financial report for the annual corporate meeting.

SHAWNA RICKER - SecretarY

The Secretary takes minutes at both the club and board meetings and maintains those minutes so they are readily accessible during the meetings.  The Secretary also maintains an inventory and location of club property.

LILIANA ELENEZ - Programs COORDINATOR

Liliana took the big plunge to become a diver in the summer of 2015 while attending CSU Monterey Bay. The current has taken her all through the South East Asia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico oceans, bumping into miraculous creatures. Liliana joined the AVDD school of fish in 2016 and haven't stopped swimming along the California coast with them.

The Program Coordinator schedules speakers and/or entertainment for monthly club meetings, special activities, and our annual banquet.  They also coordinate facility needs for guest speakers and introduces them at the event. The Program Coordinator also obtains raffle prizes for the monthly meeting and ensures that refreshments are available.

Terry Hodgkins - Newsletter Editor,MSD

Terry is a returning board member who has held a number of board positions including previous terms as Newsletter Editor. He holds a Master Scuba Diver rating.

The Newsletter Editor compiles articles for the newsletter, prepares the newsletter for reproduction, reproduces the newsletter, and mails them before a scheduled club meeting.  The Newsletter Editor also prepares and produces materials needed for the annual banquet and other events.

Adam Parra - Conservation Officer

The Conservation Officer advises the membership and Board of Directors on conservation matters, including clean-up activities and changes in federal, state and local regulations.  The Conservation Officer also coordinates the clubs involvement in events such as Earth Day, Coastal Clean-Up, and other environmental activities the club pursues.

Ken White - Dive Coordinator

Ken received his Open Water Certification in February 2000 and has been actively diving since then. Ken has been to the underwater world of Cozumel, Curacao, St. Maarten, The Bahamas, Hawaii, as well as several sites around the Islands of California.

The Dive Coordinator schedules and coordinates dives and diving events for the club membership, including beach, boat, and other diving activities.  The Dive Coordinator also researches and advises the membership and board on diving matters of safety, technical nature, or changes to diving laws and regulations.  Where appropriate, the Dive Coordinator collects money on behalf of the club and ensures the money is received by the Treasurer.

MICHAEL BOCIAGA - Member at large

Mike is an engineer working at in California’s famed Aerospace Valley (just a dressed up name for the Antelope Valley).  A certified diver since 2015, Mike enjoys diving California’s Channel Islands and exploring all that our coast has to offer.  Having just gotten his Advanced Diving cert in November of 2019, Mike is looking forward to exploring more of not only Southern California’s waters, but of waters around the world, including some warmer areas.  But that won’t let him ruin his love of exploring Southern California’s beautiful, if not colder, waters.

The Member at Large supports the board by assuming the duties temporarily for absent board members and accepting taskings for special activities, such as: Youth Activities, Fund Raising, and Social Function Planning.

LEE SIFFLEET - quartermaster

Lee got certified Sept 2015, inspired by his daughter and the Club through which he got the scholarship. Since then, he has dove numerous dives at Catalina island, throughout the Santa Cruz islands and Fiji where he did 2 shark dives. What Lee loves about Scuba diving is that it's a different world below the ocean where we are in sea creatures’ territory and we must respect it. Lee recently got his Advanced Cert, but a few feet below the ocean is tranquility for him!

Quartermaster supports the board by compiling and maintaining an inventory of all equipment, durable goods, and expendable supplies of the AVDD, Inc., and periodically reports to the Board of Directors on the status of equipment and durable goods (condition, repair requirements, replacement, etc.) and the quantities on hand for expendable supplies.

Barbara White - Corporate secretary

The Corporate Secretary schedules the annual corporate meeting and provides guidance to the participants in the form of an agenda.  The Corporate Secretary maintains a list of operating procedure changes the board approves during the year and incorporates those changes into the yearly update for the corporate meeting.  The Corporate Secretary also works with the Treasurer to fulfill any corporate reporting requirements.

Sergeant at arms

The Sergeant At Arms maintains order and security during all AVDD functions, including dives, meetings, and club events.