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SORSA Officers
President - Doug Gates
Though Doug Gates has been somewhat involved with the Southern Oregon Robotics Club (SORC) since its inception in 2001, primarily working with the RoboMaxx events, he did not become an active member until he stepped in as President in December 2008 when SORSA held its first meeting in Medford. Doug grew up in the Illinois Valley and graduated from Illinois Valley High School in 1984 before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona to study drafting at the Phoenix Instituite of Technology. He moved to Crescent City, California in 1995 where he was assistant manager of Crescent City Cinemas. He returned to Southern Oregon in 1998 to manage Movies Six in Grants Pass. In 2000, he left the theater and moved to Medford to work as a technical writer and drafter at his uncle's manufacturing plant before eventually getting back into civil drafting with a local engineering firm. He recently went into business with his brother, Dan, creating 1SORC Technologies, LLC which offers technology products and services both locally and around the world. Doug is married to his beautiful wife, Brook, and they are expecting their first child.
Vice President - Dan Gates
Dan Gates founded the SORC in Grants Pass in 2001 and was President for many years. Dan also grew up in the Illinois Valley and attended Illinois Valley High School though he homeschooled his last two years. Dan relocated to Phoenix, Arizona along with his brother, Doug, after graduating to study electronics at the Phoenix Institute of Technology. Since that time, Dan has spent most of his time in Southern Oregon though he has also lived in various cities in California and in Canada. While in Canada, Dan worked for Solarbotics developing new robotics products including their best-selling Herbie the Mousebot.
Dan currently lives in Dorris, California (near Klamath Falls, Oregon) where he still provides technical consulting for Solarbotics. Dan is now partnered with his brother, Doug, in a technolgy products and services company called 1SORC Technologies, LLC. Dan developed the company's premiere product, the KicCrab Robot Kit, and has provided electronics consulting services worldwide. Dan is married to his beautiful wife, Shawna, and has three kids, Christopher, Cherie and Cameron.
Treasurer - Steven Ronda
A member of the new Medford SORSA, Steven Ronda has taken an active interest in robotics as an educational tool for gifted students. Steven has lived in the Rogue Valley since he was 7 years old, graduated in the first graduating class of North Medford High School in 1987, and enlisted in the National Guard, specializing in reconnaissance. He received his Bachelor of Science in Pre-Law at Western Oregon University and received his commission as a Military Intelligence Officer in the Oregon Army National Guard in 1991. Steven was a manager of two local retail stores in the 1990’s and is currently Senior Professional Healthcare Representative for a major pharmaceutical company, spending the last 10 years in the medical industry.
At 17 years of total service and reaching the rank of Major, as the State of Oregon’s 41st Infantry Brigade’s Intelligence Officer, Steven resigned his commission in 2005 to spend more time with his children. His 4 children, Matthew, Mark, Andrew and Anneliese, were the first and only quadruplets born in the Rogue Valley – they were born in 1996 and are now in Junior High, with interests in science, robotics, medicine and law enforcement. For his entire adult life, Steven has been responsible for finances and budgeting in both his civilian and military careers, and additionally, he spent 5 years in charge of finances for a local church. Steven has been married for 17 years to Jami, “Mrs. Southern Oregon 2008”, and considers his family his primary vocation.
Secretary - Margaret Clark
Profile information coming soon.
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