People and Operations
Operating Zones

With the goal of making a “state-wide” chapter, IDA Missouri has subdivided Missouri into operating zones. Our forward strategy and ongoing operations make every effort to consider each zone. A key to our success with be recruiting champions for each zone.
Board of Directors
IDA Missouri holds board meetings on the third Thursday of the odd months of each year. For 2022, the schedule is 1/20, 3/17, 5/19, 7/21, 9/15, 11/17.
Per our operating agreement with International Dark Sky, IDA Missouri Board members serve for a term of three years and cannot serve for more than two (2) consecutive full year terms of office without a break in service of at least one (1) year. Board terms are divided into three classes which are staggered to expire in different years to help ensure continuity of the Board.
IDA Missouri has thirteen board members as follows:
Zone 1 - North Region:
- Vayujeet Gokhale, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Physics, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO - Term Expires 11/30/2024
Zone 2 - St. Louis Region:
- Don Ficken, St. Louis Astronomical Society/Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri, Kirkwood, MO - Term expires 11/30/2022 - Board Chair and Executive Director **
- Cook Feldman, St. Louis Astronomical Society, St. Louis Missouri - Term expires 11/30/2024
- William Neubert, St. Louis Astronomical Society, Manchester, MO - Term expires 11/30/2023
- Brett Seymoure, Ph.D., Washington University of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO - Term expires 11/30/2024
- Chuck Simms, Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri, Wentzville, MO - Term expires 11/30/2022 - Board Secretary
- Stephanie Todd, Missouri Sierra Club, Olivette, MO - Term expires 11/30/2024, Board Treasurer
Zone 3 - Southeast Region:
- Matthew Kantola, Missouri State Parks - Grand Gulf, Thayer, MO - Term Expires 11/30/2024
- Trish Erzfeld, Perry County Tourism, Perryville, MO - Term Expires 11/30/2023
Zone 4 - Lakes Region:
- Terrel A. Gallaway, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO - Term expires 11/30/2022
- Loring Bullard, Schoolcraft Chapter, Ozark Society, Springfield, MO - Term expires 11/30/2024
Zone 5 - Kansas City Region:
- Jackie Beucher, Astronomical Society of Kansas City, Overland Park, KS - Term expires 11/30/2023 - Board Vice Chair
- Rick Yord, Astronomical Society of Kansas City, Lee's Summit, MO - Term expires 11/30/2022
Zone 6 - Central Region:
- No representatives.
** Also serving as the Executive Director of the Chapter.
Standing Committees
Our chapter has a "Standing Committee" structure to support ongoing board and chapter operations. Our standing committees is as follows:
- Executive Committee - Board Officers **
- Finance Committee - Vice Chair, Treasurer
- Membership Committee - Rick Yord, Amateur Astronomer
- Social Media Committee, Ron King, Amateur Astronomer
** Restricted to Board Members
Ad-Hoc Committees
Our chapter uses "Ad-Hoc" committees to accomplish various chapter projects. Ad-hoc committees are not considered permanent. Our ad-hoc committees are as follows:
- Annual Conference, Terrel Gallaway PhD, Missouri State University
- Dark Sky Citizen Science Program, Don Ficken, Amateur Astronomer
- St. Louis Lights Out Program, Don Ficken, Amateur Astronomer
- Post-Boomer Program, Brett Seymoure, Washington University
- Missouri Dark Skies Map/Photo Program - Bill Neubert, Amateur Astronomer
- Municipal Program, Dan Duffy, City of Ellisville
- Parks Program, Matt Kantola, Missouri State Parks - Grand Gulf
- SQM/Sky Brightness Program - Vayu Gokhale PhD, Truman State University
- Tourism Program, Trish Erzfeld, Perry County Tourism
Chapter Advisors
Our chapter has access to expertise from IDA Global but we believe it important to draw our experts from Missouri to provide more advice specific to our state. Accordingly, we are recruiting subject matters experts from around Missouri:
- Dan Duffy, City Council, City of Ellisville, MO
- Trish Erzfeld, Perry County Heritage Tourism, Perryville, MO
- Chad Follis, Ph.D., Professor Horticulture/Greenhouse, Mineral Area College
- Terrel Gallaway, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Missouri State University
- Vayu Gokhale, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physics, Truman State University
- John Kraemer, Ph.D., Professor/Director of Center for Environmental Science, Southeast Missouri State University
- David Mitchell, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Missouri State University
- Bentley Ousely, Virtual Reality Filmmaker, Astronomical Society of Kansas City
- Brett Seymoure, Ph. D., Post Doctorial Research Associate, Behavioral Biologist, Washington University of St. Louis
- Will Snyder, James S. McDonnell Planetarium Manager, Saint Louis Science Center
- Dan Zarlenga, Metro Media Specialist - St. Louis Regional Office, Missouri Department of Conservation