Here are this year’s candidates for Vice President, Treasurer and Board Member at Large. Thank you for your your nominations!
John Zimitsch– MAS Vice President candidate
I volunteer to serve another two-year term as the Minnesota Astronomical Society (MAS) Vice President and wish to run as a candidate for the 2026-28 MAS Board election.
I am about to complete my second two-year term as Vice President and wish to continue with my contributions to the Minnesota Astronomical Society. As a member of the MAS Board my primary responsibility is to be a good steward of MAS resources. In my tenure as Vice President collaborating with the MAS Board, we implemented the new Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, created new Guidelines for Forming and Governing Standing Committees, and improved standardization of operations of MAS committees, including those managing our sites. My focus has been on maturity of operations, and we have significantly improved budgeting and financial reporting. There is still more work to do, and I welcome continuing with those efforts along with supporting the mission of the MAS.
I also enjoy contributing to the Loaner Telescope Program. This program is managed very well by our Loaner Scope Coordinator and requires little assistance, but I have helped add new equipment, improve existing equipment, and increase the number of telescopes and binoculars available to the MAS members to nineteen.
I thank those who gave me their trust by electing me to serve on the MAS Board two years ago. It has been a pleasure serving on the MAS Board and if selected again I will continue to do my best to serve the Minnesota Astronomical Society and its members, maintaining it as a premier amateur astronomy club.
Thank you,
John Zimitsch
Noha Reda – MAS Treasurer candidate
My name is Noha Reda and I am currently running for the position of Treasurer of MAS. I grew up in a family that appreciated science.
My first amateur attempt at astronomy was as a teenager on August 11th 1999 as I observed a partial solar Eclipse, I also tried to capture it with an old camcorder which I was successful in doing, but that was the last thing that poor camcorder ever captured, I wonder why!
As life took over, astronomy took a back seat, until I moved to Iowa in 2011, I started visiting the Eastern Iowa Observatory. In the Beginning it was every once in a while until 2018 when I decided to become a member. From there I got involved in various tasks, I became the pizza chef for the monthly member nights, I got involved in the audio/video functions and helped build the system that currently supports their hybrid events, I served as the programs coordinator until summer of 2025 I got voted as the Vice President and then the President, and for 2025 I’m still serving my term as a board member until it ends in December.
Then my work life brought me back to Minnesota in 2023, and I quickly joined MAS.
Since joining MAS I’ve helped perform an Audit for the MAS financials that resulted in some opportunities for improvement.
As the last treasurer’s term ended, I was assigned as the new treasurer for 2025 and was able to implement the improvements identified by the Audit committee in 2024.
I’ve also been able to transition our tax filings to be done internally saving MAS some money.
I enjoy outreach events, BSIG and NNSF has become my favorite time of the year.
Jessi Palmer – MAS Board member at large candidate
My name is Jessica Palmer and I am the current Board Member at Large 2. In addition to my position on the board, I am also the current Outreach coordinator.
I have been a member of the Minnesota Astronomical Society since September 2020, shortly after buying my first telescope. Since then, I have realized that I needed to explore astrophotography more. My background has been in photography and graphic design since an early age. My parents owned a print shop in Buffalo, Minnesota in the 1970’s.
When I am not working on things for the board or outreach, I usually play on the computer, spend time with family and friends, helping at star parties, crocheting, painting, or taking care of my cats.
