Leadership
The current leadership of the Utah Marine Aquarium Society consists of the following volunteers:
| Terence Fugazzi :: Director |
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I am a new saltwater hobbyist having only maintained reef tanks for just two years. I currently have a 210g tall mixed reef, and a 135g frag tank. Before that I once (1984) had a 65g hex tank in a tiki-hut stand that my friend and I kept at my house. <cringe alert> The neighborhood thrill was the weekly feeding of the groupers and snowflake eel with goldfish! Back to the future… I am highly passionate about the hobby and even more passionate about helping others to enjoy it and, most importantly, stick with it. This is the main reason I, with the help of our other founding leadership, created UTMAS. I could not be in the hobby or part of this great new organization without the support of my wife Nancy and 10-year old son Diego. As a family we love to travel and of course visit LFS together! If you have any ideas whatsoever on how to make this a better club or make the web experience better, feel free to send me a message on the forums or pull me aside at a meeting…I truly want to hear, and use, your input! |
| Dave Anderson :: Director |
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After growing up in Huntington Beach, CA for 20+ years of my life I love the ocean. I remember asking my dad to drive me down to the Huntington Harbor to fill up 5 gallon buckets of salt water for my fresh water converted 10 gallon tank, with plastic plants and lava rock, which sat on top of my childhood dresser over 26 years ago. I kept a few damsels due to my fascination with the vibrant colors they represented and the limited access to funds I had as a child. I also remember talking my mom into my first 200 gallon glass tank as a sophomore in high school for our home wishing the tape measure could just lie a little about the actual size of the tank in front of my mom to get her blessing. This passion for the hobby grew into most recently a 1200 gallon reef system weaved through two different rooms of our home. I enjoy acrylic fabrication and have built many different aquariums and aquarium related pieces of equipment. I have three next generation reef enthusiasts as well as a wonderfully patient wife. |
| Burt Fessler |
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I’m Burt Fessler, a passionate new comer to reefing. I had several freshwater aquariums as a kid but always wanted to try a Reef Tank. I always thought owning a reef was beyond my skill level, financial means and time constraints. I didn’t plan on getting into the hobby but when my father contracted pancreatic cancer and became house bound for a time he asked me to help him set up a reef tank. I hadn’t had an aquarium in over 30 years but I agreed to help my dad set up a tank to occupy his time. After helping my dad set up his reef I was hooked. In the last year I have set up 5 different reef tanks from 10 to 55 gallons. One of the few things I enjoy as much as building my own reefs is helping others succeed in the hobby. I am excited about the startup of this UMAS and the opportunity to promote the hobby and meet new friends. |
| Larry Halliday :: Secretary | |
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My name is Larry Halliday. I guess you can say I have always been a fish geek. I am not as bad now as I was when I was younger. Back then when my fish would die, I would dissect them to check for their sex and see how they ticked. I think I had seven aquariums, four of them show tanks when I was in high school. They were all fresh water tanks though. I really got into the saltwater/marine aquarium hobby about 2006, but had always wanted a saltwater aquarium for about the last twenty years and was intrigued by their beauty. I read as many books as I could find on marine fish and corals, but found that the best source of information came from others in the hobby. I hope to continue to meet many new friends who are interested in this hobby and share the knowledge I have acquired over the years and learn from other’s experiences. Presently I have a three tank saltwater setup with a 90 gallon sump. I am constantly working to improve what I have and hope to have my ultimate display tank and fish room done within the next few years. I have many other interests some are my family, baseball, camping, dogs, birds, cactus, fish ponds, hunting and fishing.
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