MAPS 2022 Board of Directors Elections

As a member of the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society,

YOU have the privilege to vote for colleagues who will serve as your representatives on the MAPS Board. This year we have many wonderful candidates to choose from that will take three seats that are available.

MAPS members, check your inbox in January for your online voting invitation. All votes must be submitted by January 31, 2022. We thank you for your participation in this election and in MAPS overall.

Review the candidates’ statements in the table below.

Candidate	Candidate Statement
Jackie Baughman	My name is Jackie Baughman. I am an educator at the Williamsville SpaceLab Planetarium in Williamsville, NY and am extremely honored to be nominated for the MAPS Executive Board! I have been working in planetariums since 2010 and have held a variety of positions during my career. When I started at my first planetarium, I was actually hired as a graphic designer, and then quickly picked up all the diverse skills needed to teach in a planetarium. I have continued that momentum and enjoy gaining new knowledge and skills in a wide variety of areas, including curriculum development, nonprofit management, and staff mentoring. I feel that my STEAM oriented experiences would help MAPS grow into a well-rounded community.
Lee Ann A. Hennig	I have had the honor of being a MAPS member for many years. My service includes holding several offices: Secretary, President Elect, President, and Board Member, as well as serving on various committees. I have attended, presented, and participated in many of the MAPS conferences. I also served as IPS Secretary for over 20 years, a position which provided new ideas, opportunities, and interactions with colleagues around the world. I retired from my planetarium in June 2019 and have been able to devote more time to making MAPS a more effective force for our members. As a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, we are dedicated to defining long term planning and goal setting specifically for improving services to the membership. Through my work on the Board, I have attempted to improve the stature of MAPS as an organization and to extend and expand its benefits to the membership. My past experiences have underscored the importance of a Board that can work effectively for the good of the organization and in the best interests of its members and their concerns. The opportunities and experiences I have gained from my past position as Secretary of the International Planetarium Society, participation at national associations for the advancement of astronomy education, and service to other organizations have provided critical skills and tools which contribute to my service as a Board member in MAPS. Although the technology of our field is evolving we still need to be inclusive and supportive of our entire planetarium community. Through the transition of my facility a Spitz A3P to a SkySkan Definiti Digital System, I have learned how to deal with the growing issues which come with that transition as well as the exciting possibilities. It is critical for MAPS to support strong leadership to face the challenges of our profession at all levels. I have confirmed my impression of how crucial it is to have dedicated and motivated committees as a good base for our Society. As Education Chair it has been an honor to work with the other productive members of our committee in their quest for providing a service for our community. The strength and soul of our organization is its membership and, as always, I will do my best to promote the values of MAPS toward that philosophy. Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to be a candidate for office. Professional Former: Director of Astronomy and Astrophysics Research at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Fairfax County Virginia) Director of the TJHSST Planetarium (SkySkan Definiti -30 ft. Dome) Coordinator of Research and Technology Labs at TJHSST
Paul J. Krupinski	Greetings fellow friends and colleagues of the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society! I am appreciative, once again, for a nomination to the Board of Directors of the MAPS Executive Committee for the upcoming election in January 2022. As an incumbent, I’ve had the opportunity to work with the Executive Committee since 2010 and it has been my pleasure. Our Board is always striving to serve and benefit YOU our valued membership. For those who are new to the MAPS community, I’m Paul J. Krupinski from Cheektowaga, New York — a suburb of the Nickel City (Fun fact: The Buffalo nickel or otherwise known as the Indian Head nickel was a copper-nickel five-cent coin by the United States Mint from 1913-1938 with an image of a bison on the reserve side.) and City of Good Neighbors, Buffalo. I attended my first planetarium conference in Wheeling, WV in 1990 and have been a member of MAPS for 31 years. I’ve been fortunate to meet so many amazing people in the field, spend precious time at conferences with life-long friends, share some terrific ideas, as well as collaborate with the finest Planetarians this business has to offer. Even though the Coronavirus has temporarily halted my career, I still am still the owner Mr. K.’s Mobile Dome Planetarium, presenter at the world renowned Strasenburgh Planetarium of the Rochester Museum & Science Center and planetarium teacher at the Maryvale UFSD Planetarium in my hometown in Cheektowaga, New York. I’ve served MAPS as your President Elect, President, and Past President from 2000-2006, which was truly an outstanding and rewarding experience for me. I’ve been a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and I’ve collaborated on the MAPS Executive Committee Calendar and Procedures, Conference Guidelines and Vendor Policy, as well as the MAPS Executive Handbook, including its recent 2021 update. In addition, I’ve been working with a small group of MAPS members in a Focus Group, as recommended by the SPC, to analyze areas of the Society the Executive Committee can improve as a whole. Moreover, I’m currently the Chairperson of the Audit and Memorial Committees, as well as a member of the Elections Committee. Finally, as many of you know, time doesn’t always allow the Executive Committee to complete the task or tasks at hand, which ultimately improves our organization. Many ideas to improve value and benefits to membership are indeed work-in-progress and need time to be brought to fruition! Therefore, I’d like the opportunity, once again, to continue with the Executive Committee to complete unfinished business, while cultivating new innovative ideas, which ultimately provides your Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society an even brighter future going forward. Thank you for the opportunity!
Patty Seaton	Hello, Fellow MAPSers! Most of you probably know me by now because I just can’t stay away. After serving as President-Elect, President, and Past President (shampoo, rinse, and repeat!), I chose to serve on the Board because I really believe in the mission of MAPS. I believe in bringing planetarians together to share best-practices, commiserate over FAILED practices, and to just enjoy spending time with like-minded people who all share a passion for sharing the universe with others! I have a unique perspective of being a certified teacher who runs the planetarium for the school district as an enhancement to the district’s science curriculum. My planetarium is part of a science center where students from the district come (virtually at the moment, since March 2020) and have STEAM experiences beyond what they can get in the classroom. In addition, I traditionally offered programs to the public, for the local colleges, and local Scouts. I bring this experience of serving students and the public to the organization and work collaboratively with the entire Board to help provide resources and support to all types of planetariums in our region. As the Executive Secretary of the International Planetarium Society (IPS), I also have a global perspective for what planetariums, large and small, are doing around the world. I work with the MAPS Board to propose strategies that have worked well for IPS and implement ones that will work well on a regional level. I participate in the MAPS Strategic Planning Committee and help serve as a liaison to the MAPS Board in evaluating the strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses of the organization. I love seeing what we do well and working on what we can do better. I would love to continue in this role serving you. No matter what, I will stay active in committees, because I believe the strength of an organization lies in the passion and commitment of its members. I offer both to you.

Candidate

Candidate Statement

Jackie Baughman

My name is Jackie Baughman. I am an educator at the Williamsville SpaceLab Planetarium in Williamsville, NY and am extremely honored to be nominated for the MAPS Executive Board!

I have been working in planetariums since 2010 and have held a variety of positions during my career. When I started at my first planetarium, I was actually hired as a graphic designer, and then quickly picked up all the diverse skills needed to teach in a planetarium. I have continued that momentum and enjoy gaining new knowledge and skills in a wide variety of areas, including curriculum development, nonprofit management, and staff mentoring.

I feel that my STEAM oriented experiences would help MAPS grow into a well-rounded community.

Lee Ann A. Hennig

I have had the honor of being a MAPS member for many years. My service includes holding several offices: Secretary, President Elect, President, and Board Member, as well as serving on various committees. I have attended, presented, and participated in many of the MAPS conferences. I also served as IPS Secretary for over 20 years, a position which provided new ideas, opportunities, and interactions with colleagues around the world. I retired from my planetarium in June 2019 and have been able to devote more time to making MAPS a more effective force for our members. As a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, we are dedicated to defining long term planning and goal setting specifically for improving services to the membership.

Through my work on the Board, I have attempted to improve the stature of MAPS as an organization and to extend and expand its benefits to the membership. My past experiences have underscored the importance of a Board that can work effectively for the good of the organization and in the best interests of its members and their concerns.

The opportunities and experiences I have gained from my past position as Secretary of the International Planetarium Society, participation at national associations for the advancement of astronomy education, and service to other organizations have provided critical skills and tools which contribute to my service as a Board member in MAPS.

Although the technology of our field is evolving we still need to be inclusive and supportive of our entire planetarium community. Through the transition of my facility a Spitz A3P to a SkySkan Definiti Digital System, I have learned how to deal with the growing issues which come with that transition as well as the exciting possibilities. It is critical for MAPS to support strong leadership to face the challenges of our profession at all levels.

I have confirmed my impression of how crucial it is to have dedicated and motivated committees as a good base for our Society. As Education Chair it has been an honor to work with the other productive members of our committee in their quest for providing a service for our community.

The strength and soul of our organization is its membership and, as always, I will do my best to promote the values of MAPS toward that philosophy. Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to be a candidate for office.

Professional

Former:

Director of Astronomy and Astrophysics Research at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Fairfax County Virginia)
Director of the TJHSST Planetarium (SkySkan Definiti -30 ft. Dome)
Coordinator of Research and Technology Labs at TJHSST

Paul J. Krupinski

Greetings fellow friends and colleagues of the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society! I am appreciative, once again, for a nomination to the Board of Directors of the MAPS Executive Committee for the upcoming election in January 2022. As an incumbent, I’ve had the opportunity to work with the Executive Committee since 2010 and it has been my pleasure. Our Board is always striving to serve and benefit YOU our valued membership.

For those who are new to the MAPS community, I’m Paul J. Krupinski from Cheektowaga, New York — a suburb of the Nickel City (Fun fact: The Buffalo nickel or otherwise known as the Indian Head nickel was a copper-nickel five-cent coin by the United States Mint from 1913-1938 with an image of a bison on the reserve side.) and City of Good Neighbors, Buffalo. I attended my first planetarium conference in Wheeling, WV in 1990 and have been a member of MAPS for 31 years. I’ve been fortunate to meet so many amazing people in the field, spend precious time at conferences with life-long friends, share some terrific ideas, as well as collaborate with the finest Planetarians this business has to offer.

Even though the Coronavirus has temporarily halted my career, I still am still the owner Mr. K.’s Mobile Dome Planetarium, presenter at the world renowned Strasenburgh Planetarium of the Rochester Museum & Science Center and planetarium teacher at the Maryvale UFSD Planetarium in my hometown in Cheektowaga, New York.

I’ve served MAPS as your President Elect, President, and Past President from 2000-2006, which was truly an outstanding and rewarding experience for me. I’ve been a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and I’ve collaborated on the MAPS Executive Committee Calendar and Procedures, Conference Guidelines and Vendor Policy, as well as the MAPS Executive Handbook, including its recent 2021 update. In addition, I’ve been working with a small group of MAPS members in a Focus Group, as recommended by the SPC, to analyze areas of the Society the Executive Committee can improve as a whole. Moreover, I’m currently the Chairperson of the Audit and Memorial Committees, as well as a member of the Elections Committee.

Finally, as many of you know, time doesn’t always allow the Executive Committee to complete the task or tasks at hand, which ultimately improves our organization. Many ideas to improve value and benefits to membership are indeed work-in-progress and need time to be brought to fruition! Therefore, I’d like the opportunity, once again, to continue with the Executive Committee to complete unfinished business, while cultivating new innovative ideas, which ultimately provides your Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society an even brighter future going forward. Thank you for the opportunity!

Patty Seaton

Hello, Fellow MAPSers! Most of you probably know me by now because I just can’t stay away. After serving as President-Elect, President, and Past President (shampoo, rinse, and repeat!), I chose to serve on the Board because I really believe in the mission of MAPS. I believe in bringing planetarians together to share best-practices, commiserate over FAILED practices, and to just enjoy spending time with like-minded people who all share a passion for sharing the universe with others!

I have a unique perspective of being a certified teacher who runs the planetarium for the school district as an enhancement to the district’s science curriculum. My planetarium is part of a science center where students from the district come (virtually at the moment, since March 2020) and have STEAM experiences beyond what they can get in the classroom. In addition, I traditionally offered programs to the public, for the local colleges, and local Scouts. I bring this experience of serving students and the public to the organization and work collaboratively with the entire Board to help provide resources and support to all types of planetariums in our region.

As the Executive Secretary of the International Planetarium Society (IPS), I also have a global perspective for what planetariums, large and small, are doing around the world. I work with the MAPS Board to propose strategies that have worked well for IPS and implement ones that will work well on a regional level. I participate in the MAPS Strategic Planning Committee and help serve as a liaison to the MAPS Board in evaluating the strengths, opportunities, and weaknesses of the organization. I love seeing what we do well and working on what we can do better.

I would love to continue in this role serving you. No matter what, I will stay active in committees, because I believe the strength of an organization lies in the passion and

commitment of its members. I offer both to you.

What's New