October 2009
FMCA’s Executive Board is made up of four nationally elected officers “” the national president, senior vice president, secretary, and treasurer “” and the 10 national area vice presidents, who are elected by their respective areas. (The immediate past national president also serves as a non-voting member.) Five of the 10 areas hold national vice president elections in odd-numbered years, and the other five areas hold elections in even-numbered years.
Following are abbreviated resumes for the national vice presidents recently elected or re-elected for the 2009-2011 term.
Paul Dubois, F296221
Northeast Area
Paul and his wife, Diane, joined FMCA in June 2001. In July 2002, they joined the Frustrated Maestros NE – Yankee Doodle Dandies chapter and subsequently joined several other Frustrated Maestros chapters. Paul served as vice president and then president of the Frustrated Maestros NE – Yankee Doodle Dandies chapter.
From 2007-2008, Paul served as Northeast Area 2nd vice president and as commercial coordinator and seminar coordinator for the 2008 Northeast Area Rally (NEAR). At NEAR 2008, Paul was elected 1st vice president of the Northeast Area. He served as rally master and commercial coordinator for NEAR 2009.
Paul has served as a member of FMCA’s Governmental and Legislative Affairs Committee since 2007.
Paul has been involved in various forms of community service over the years. He served as a member of the Ballston Spa Fire Department for several years and as manager and drummer for the fire department band. He served as a trustee for the Malta Presbyterian Church in Malta, New York. He was a member of the Ballston Spa Central School Board of Education for several years. For six years he served as an EMT and crew captain for the Malta Ambulance Corps. He was president of Parents without Partners in Saratoga County, New York, for four years, and he was co-developer of the “Banana Splits” program for children who have lost a parent through death or divorce, which he introduced into Parents without Partners and currently is in use in all states. He also was co-founder of “Step by Step,” a support and counseling group that enables step and blended families to cope with situations that they face on a daily basis. He is founder and president of Friendship Animal Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) no-kill facility for homeless companion animals.
Paul graduated from Ballston Spa High School in Ballston Spa, New York, and then attended the Greyhound Drivers School. He served as a driver in the Albany Division and as operations supervisor in the Albany and Montreal divisions until 1978. A professional driver since 1959, with more than two million miles of safe driving experience, he also served upstate New York schools as a bus driver, dispatcher, transportation supervisor, and New York State certified 19A examiner. He has operated his own tour and travel business since 1989, with clients that include schools; senior organizations; and numerous private and public groups, from popular music stars to government organizations. He currently serves as a CDL and R designation trainer and instructor in the Amsterdam, New York, area.
Tom Eller, F189521
Southeast Area
Tom has been a member of the Family Motor Coach Association for 14 years. During that time he has served as a chapter president and national director. In addition, he worked the FMCA Store booth in the Southeast Area for five years, and he served as volunteer captain of the FMCA Store booth at two FMCA international conventions. In 2006 and 2007, he served as chairman of the Southeast Area Nominating Committee. He is the immediate past Southeast Area Vice President for the West Region. He held that position for two years, and during that time he was able to establish a chapter member recruiting plan that involved the chapters and the local dealers. For the past five years, Tom served as the chaplain for the Southeast Area. Tom and his wife, Lorna, are full-time motorhomers. Tom currently is serving as a member of the Convention Committee and the Membership Committee for 2009-2010.
Tom retired from the U.S. Army in 1988, and he operated his own businesses in Huntsville, Alabama, for five years. One of these businesses included an RV repair facility.
Tom graduated from The Citadel, and received a master of education degree (M.Ed.) from Tulane University. He has attended numerous Army schools designed to enhance his management and planning skills.
Fred L. Kennedy, F44281
South Central Area
Fred and his wife, Lou, joined FMCA in 1982. Fred has been re-elected for a second term as national vice president, South Central Area. He served on the Nominating Committee in 2004-2005; the Convention Committee from 2007 to the present; and the Membership/Member Services Committee from 2007 to 2009. He has attended 32 international conventions. At the 1986 international convention in San Antonio, Texas, he was the information captain, and at the 1989 San Antonio convention he served as registration captain. He was a parade volunteer at the 1998 convention in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and a seminar volunteer at the 2001 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, convention.
Fred and Lou have attended 23 Six-State area rallies and over the years have served as radio/golf cart captains, show coach volunteers, and assistant show coach captains. They belong to three chapters “” Monaco International, Roughnecks, and Thousand Trails of Texas. Fred has held a variety of offices in all three, and he and Lou have been wagon masters of more than 22 chapter rallies. Fred served as national director of the Thousand Trails of Texas chapter from 2003 to 2007.
Fred attended Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas, majoring in business administration. He continued his education through numerous business and management courses. He was employed for more than 40 years in the dairy industry, holding management positions for Texo Corporation, Klenzade Corporation, AMPI, Pure Milk Dairy, and Neosho Valley Dairy in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Concurrent to much of this work was his 25 years of service in the United States Navy Air Reserve.
Numerous business, church, and military organizations have benefited from Fred’s skills. He was president of the Oklahoma State Sanitation and Dairy Fieldsmen Association and president of the Kansas State Sanitation and Dairy Fieldsmen Association. He is a member of St. Matthew Methodist Church and for more than 40 years has been a member of Masonic Lodge #229.
Fred and Lou have been married for 58 years and have four children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Allen Rein, F214273
Rocky Mountain Area
Allen and his wife, Glenda, joined FMCA in 1996. Allen has been re-elected for a second term as national vice president, Rocky Mountain Area. Allen served as senior vice president of the Rocky Mountain Motorcoach Association (RMMA) from 2005 to 2007, acting as rally master for the Rocky Mountain Ramble. Prior to this he served as RMMA Region I vice president in 2003-2004. He also served as commercial captain for the Rocky Mountain Ramble from 2000 to 2002 and as commercial chairman from 2002 to 2003.
At the 2003 international convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Allen served as coffee hour captain. He was on the national Nominating Committee from 2005 to 2006, was appointed to the IT & Communications Committee in 2006, has served as chairman of the Long Range and Development Committee since 2007, was a member of the Membership/Member Services Committee from 2007 to 2008, and currently is serving on the Convention Committee.
Allen and Glenda are members of the Rocky Mountain chapter, for which Allen served as second and first vice president and as president from 1999 to 2002. The Reins are members of six FMCA chapters, and charter members of four chapters. Allen was instrumental in helping form the Western Slope Rovers, Southern Colorado Majestics, and Vegas Blackjacks RV Club chapters. He served as national director for the Southern Colorado Majestics chapter from 2005 to 2007.
Allen has worked the FMCA booth at the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show in Quartzsite, Arizona, for three years, providing member benefit information and recruiting new FMCA members.
Allen was born in Denver, Colorado. He served in the Army National Guard for eight years. Allen was educated in the field of computer programming and held several positions over the years, including police officer for the Denver Police Department and programming instructor for the Parks School of Business in Denver. He worked at the Colorado Department of Revenue for 24 years in positions such as senior computer programmer, systems analyst manager, and computer programming manager.
The Reins have been married 52 years and have two children, six grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.
Al Talbott, F223128
Midwest Area
Al and his wife, Dory, joined FMCA in 1997. Al has been re-elected for a second term as national vice president, Midwest Area.
Al served as chairman of the display coach exhibits for the Midwest Area rallies from 2001 until his election as Midwest Area vice president in 2007. Dory served as secretary of the Midwest Area Cooperative (MAC) from 2003 to 2007. Al also has been a member of the MAC rally site selection committee since 2001.
Al served four years on the FMCA Governmental and Legislative Affairs Committee. He has served as chairman of the Marketing Strategy Committee since 2008. Al and Dory have served as FMCA security staff members for international conventions, and they have volunteered at numerous area rallies and international conventions.
Al’s work experience includes seven years with AT&T in the engineering and sales departments. He retired from the state of Illinois after 30 years of service, during which time he held the office of the chief communications engineer and manager of the state telecommunications division.
In 1986 Al served as president of the National Association of State Telecommunication Directors. For the last 13 years before retirement, he was the chief telephone engineer for the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Al has a bachelor’s degree in engineering and has taken graduate courses at Sangamon State University, now renamed the University of Illinois-Springfield, in addition to numerous training courses for CEU, ethics and staff development.
Al and Dory are active members of 14 chapters, including the Lincoln Landers, Lincolnland Coachmen, Cenois Prairielanders, Wisconsin Badgers, Beaver Ambassador Club, and Cat RV Club. They are charter members of three chapters. The couple has served as rally masters at more than 30 chapter rallies. Al is a past president of the Lincolnland Coachmen and also served the chapter as national director. He and Dory have held numerous chapter leadership positions over the years, including national director, alternate national director, president, vice president, secretary, MAC delegate, and alternate MAC delegate.
Al is a former member of the Illinois Advisory Committee on Recreational Activities. He is an Air Force veteran, having served four years active duty and eight years in the active reserves.
Al and Dory have six children, 12 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.