Staff And Board Members

                           Board Members are:

   Dr. Kenneth Casey - Founder                   Charlene Casey - CFO
     Phoenix, AZ                                                 Phoenix, AZ

     Ed Hamilton - Project Manager               Dr. Alvin Post- Mech. Eng.  
     San Francisco, CA                                       Vancouver, WA

     Christopher Newman - Ops Mgr.             Michelle Weh-Thulin- Assistant CFO
     Phoenix, AZ                                                 Albuquerque, NM

     Dr. Arne Henden - Dir. of Astronomy    
     Boston, MA                                                 

                                                       STAFF

The staff of RAI is experienced at dealing with the public using technical facilities. RAI intends to provide an engaging research experience rather than dry academia. The staff is crucial to providing this environment.

Dr. Kenneth Casey

The founder and executive director of RAI, has extensive broadcasting experience. He owns and operates A television station in Seattle. He uses state-of the-art electronic apparatus at the cutting edge of performance. Here is Kenneth’s description of how he came to start RAI:

“My interest in electronics began in 1951 when I bought my first
crystal set. The cat whisker  worked great. I bought W.W.II surplus radios as a teenager. I served in the US. Army Signal Corps as a Communication  Specialist from 1959 to 1962. I  received additional training, and was discharged  as a  Captain. I  was also trained  at  Philips,  for their  Special Industrial Equipment. I sold surplus radio equipment as a second job during the 1960's. In the late 1970's I  started a satellite TVRO company selling C-Band satellite stations for commercial installations and for remote ranches in New Mexico. I was trained at Scientific Atlanta for  their commercial systems. In the 1980's I became interested in TV stations and in the late 80's started applying to the FCC for LPTV stations, and Full-Power TV stations. I own a TV station in  Seattle, WA, KHCV, channel 45, which also Broadcast four digital channels.   

“Searching for extra-solar systems in our galaxy has been a lifelong dream."

His educational and professional background includes:

Communications Specialist: U. S. Army Signal Corps, Captain

TV Technician: I. C. S.

Commercial Satellite Systems:  Scientific Atlanta

B. S.  Clinical Hypnotherapy:  American Institute of Hypnotherapy, Irvine, CA

DCH  Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy: American Institute of Hypnotherapy, Irvine, CA, 1999

He has written a book: Ethanol, an Economical and Renewable Fuel,
First edition 1980. Publisher: Western Publishing.

Charlene Casey

Oversees the financial operations of RAI. She is experienced in the finances of technical operations like television broadcasting. She knows capital finances, operational finances and personnel finances. Here is Charlene's description of how she gathered her financial experience:

"I went to Sandia High School and attended Technical Vocational  Institute for additional training in Albuquerque, NM. I worked for several attorneys from 1972 thru 1976. I was an assistant manager for
a large Mobile Home park in Albuquerque, for several years I was the General Manger from 1980 to 1984. I also received my license to sell mobile homes. I have worked for Broadcasting Systems, Inc., which
has been a part of building over 200 TV stations worldwide. I was its CFO until 2005. I'm also part owner and the CFO for our TV station KHCV in Seattle, WA, KHCV, since 1989. I have three wonderful daughters, who have provided me with four wonderful grandchildren to spoil.
 

Ed Hamilton

He has over 30 years in information technology and software
development, working with several startup software companies before logging
over 11 years with Hewlett-Packard as an engineer and manager. He founded
Hamilton Software in 1991, a custom software development company which
generated $25 million in revenues during its life. He is currently President
of Proleon Software, Inc. and Project Manager for the RAI Deep Space Search
program.
 
He attended the University of California at San Diego and has a degree in
Computer Science.
 

Dr. Arne Henden
 
Dr. Henden is a professional astronomer, who worked for ten years under contract with the US. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ, Station. Prior to this, he was employed several years in the Astronomy Department of the Ohio State University working on large-telescope instrumentation, and also for Goddard Space Flight Center, where he designed an image processing facility. His main interests are instrumentation (CCD and infrared detectors, photometry, software) and stellar research (variable stars, brown dwarfs). He has coauthored over a hundred professional papers and written one textbook, with a second textbook nearly completed. He has worked under various contracts and consulting agreements with numerous organizations, from biomedical facilities to petroleum companies. He is an active member of several amateur-professional astronomer groups.

He is the Director at the AAVSO in Boston, MA.

His educational and professional background includes:

B. S. Astrophysics: University of New Mexico, 1972
M. S. Physics: University of New Mexico, 1975
M. A. Astronomy: Indiana University, 1978
PhD. Astronomy: Indiana University, 1985

He has written a book: Astronomical Photometry, Text and Handbook for the Advanced Amateur and Professional Astronomer, First edition 1982. Publisher: Van Nostrand. Republished 1990. Publisher: Willmann-Bell, ISBN # 0943396255.

His next book is on CCD Photometry.  It will be published soon.

Christopher Newman

Oversees operational equipment and activities of RAI. He has lifelong experience with technical and electronic apparatus in professional broadcasting. His educational and professional background includes:

Three years experience in Heavy tower construction and erection. Technical Director for the past 14 Years for Broadcasting Systems, Inc. and KHCV, Seattle, WA, a full power TV station, plus other family owned television stations.

Attended some college Classes in Business.

GED Plus Diploma from Youth For Tomorrow Academy, Dallas TX. Johnson O'Conner Aptitude Test

Brian Warner

He is an amateur (30+ years experience) astronomer based just north of Colorado Springs, CO. His work at the Palmer Divide Observatory concentrates on asteroid lightcurve research, from where he has published more than 80 lightcurves in the Minor Planet Bulletin since 1999.

Brian's interest in astronomy began in the mid-1960's. He has built several telescopes, including grinding a ten-inch mirror. He was one of a small number of astronomers sponsored to attend the Asteroids III conference in Palermo, Sicily, and was invited to give a talk at a 2004 conference on asteroid research at the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico. His wife, Margaret (70030 Margert
miller), is an accomplished violist and string instrument teacher.

Warner has discovered three asteroids and has one named in his honor (8734 Warner). He has also discovered several new eclipsing binary stars, determining
in some cases not only the period, but the approximate physical makeup of the system using the popular Binary Maker program.

In 2003, he wrote and published "The Practical Guide to Lightcurve Photometry and Analysis", which has been well-received by the astronomical community. Please visit his web site at: www.minorplanetobserver.com

He is the publisher of "The Minor Planet Observer" for ten years and currently serves at the Photoelectric Photometry Coordinator for the Minor Planet Bulletin for which he co-authors with three professionals a regular article on asteroid lightcurve opportunities in addition to a regular feature article.

He attended Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado.