It is my honor to announce the November USS Tiburon Crew Member of the Month is Admiral Garrick “Gary” Halverson. Personally, I have known Gary for almost a decade. He was the first STARFLEET Regional Coordinator I had ever met, and he gave me a position creating the Regional newsletter for Region 15. It was at the Regional Summit in Kittery Maine where I met Gary in person, and what an experience that was!
When Gary told me that fate was bringing him here to Colorado, I knew that it was going to be a treat! You see, Gary is a MAJOR (and that really does not describe it) karaoke person. Yeap, Gary had made it his mission to have me and the USS Tiburon participate. The Tiburon is now a Karaoke influenced group, thanks to Gary. Now when I say “major karaoke person”, I mean that Gary likes it so much that he owns a professional karaoke setup, which he has expanded to an even larger size.
For the first time in spring of 2012 STARFEST, a local SCI-FI convention, hosted a karaoke panel. It was unfortunately stuffed in a small room and the crowd was huge. However, out of that event (not hosted by the USS Tiburon) an idea was formed, “We could do this, and do it better!” Scarier words have never been spoken. The idea grew, and in October 2012 at MileHICon that idea became a reality; Echoes in Space Karaoke was born. Over two dozen people and three hours of singing were heard throughout the hotel. Convention attendees, as well as members of the USS Tiburon, had a great time getting up on stage and singing to their favorite songs, whether they really knew the song or not. The success of this first adventure has sparked requests for several more, all thanks to Gary.
His drive, inspiration and determination have made Gary a valuable member of the USS Tiburon and we are honored to have him as the chapters Executive Officer.