It is with a great deal of sadness and regret that I must announce my resignation from the AAVSO as Membership Director and Development Officer. My last day will be Friday, December 2, 2016.
I have enjoyed my time in the AAVSO as much or more than any other thing I have done in my life. What started as a hobby I became obsessed with, turned into a job I was challenged and compelled to undertake.
I’m extremely proud of the legacy I leave behind. I was instrumental in solving one of the AAVSO’s biggest challenges - the production and distribution of high quality photometric variable star comparison charts. With the dedication and talent of a team of volunteers we solved the AAVSO’s biggest, most expensive, 100-year issue for free. The end result was automated chart plotting with high quality photometry, and today the benefits of our work continue at a previously unimagined pace.
After receiving the AAVSO Director’s Award in 2005, I was elected to council. I was there in Arne’s office on Birch Street when he had the idea to buy Sky & Telescope’s building as our HQ. I also stood my ground against the whole council when it came to negotiating the purchase price of the building. The sellers were asking $1.4M dollars, and I convinced Arne to offer $1.1M cash. The sellers told us we had lost the deal to another group, and council was very upset with me. Two days later, the financing for the other group fell through and S&T accepted our offer of $1.1M cash. We saved $300,000 and by the time we sold the other building we broke even. We looked like financial geniuses.
As a member of the council I was aghast that the AAVSO didn’t have a fundraising plan. We are a non-profit after all. How were we supposed to exist? I complained about it for so long they finally said, “Well then, why don’t you do it?” Arne offered me a job and I accepted.
Those were exciting times. We had a new building and a thousand ideas for the future. We had regular brainstorming sessions that resulted in things like VSX and the CHOICE program. I was given free reign to create things like the Speakers Bureau, Writers Bureau and the Mentor Program. The spirit of innovation and the pride we all had in the new AAVSO we were shaping was amazing.
By far, the best part of my experience at the AAVSO was getting to know hundreds of remarkable, intelligent, devoted, interesting people. I’ve gained many life-long friends through the AAVSO, and getting to know you has made me a better person. The membership of the AAVSO is truly the backbone and strength of this organization. You are the reason I stayed long after I should have departed. I didn’t want to let you down.
But, I need to step away from this now, for my health and sanity. I plan to get back to enjoying VSO as a hobby with my new 14" telescope and eventually, maybe, get re-elected to council where I can express my opinions about where this organization should be headed and someone will HAVE to listen!
So long, for now,
Mike Simonsen
You will be sorely missed, particularly by those of us who you mentored as we got started and who have worked closely with you in CHOICE, sequence team CVs and many of your other projects.
Although you will no longer be on staff, please don't be a stranger to the forums, enjoy lots of observing with your new scope and, perhaps, take time to write more papers.
Brad Walter
From one Mike with a 14" to another (but hey, who's bragging?) - thanks for helping me get the YSO group set up. Good to see that you're going to be doing some proper astronomy now though!
I hope that observing with the 14-inch is revitalizing. Variable stars seem the most fun with clear skies, data coming in, and scientific problems being resolved.
Horace Smith
Mike, my friende,
You and Arne both represent, IMO, the best of the Golden Age of the AAVSO (and I should also include Elizabeth)
So many problems to tackle and so many many solved by your hard work and total dedication; solutions that will continue to serve our membership for many years to come. You have always been on the job 24/7 and deserve huge kudos’s for your dedication and service to the AAVSO and its membership.
I value you for your friendship as well as mentoring me on sequence building so many years ago (pre-Seqplot).
I am saddened for the AAVSO losing your talent but fully understand your need to take care of yourself.
Frankly, I was disappointed that you were not given larger consideration for replacing Arne as our Director. You would have been a great Director for the AAVSO (and still would be!).
I will surely miss your AAVSO presence as will many others. A vacuum is being created.
Oh, you will have my Council Vote anytime that I am able to cast one.
Tim Crawford, CTX
Thank you, Mike, for your long contributions in AAVSO HQ.
Best wish,
Seiichiro Kiyota
... of accomplishments you have left in your wake. Wow. You will be missed. Thank you for all you have done. Hope you are able to really enjoy your observing time -- and I will add my future vote for you for council anytime you choose to run.
Linda OConnor (OCX)
Hi Mike,
thanks for all your work for AAVSO generally and for the help you've given me over the 6 years I've been a member. Have a well earned rest and look after your health. I look forward to reading your future forum posts and hope you get as much observing with the 14" as you'd like. If you ever make your way to the east coast of Australia please get in touch. Cheers,
Mark Blackford (BMGA)
Hello Mike,
Even as a beginner in the realm of variable star observing I could tell you were a keeper for AAVSO. You were the instructor for my first course which could have been the end of my foray into observing. However, you made it interesting and led to my taking other courses and renewing my membership. I thank you for that and wish you the best of luck in both your observing and whatever follow-on pursuits.
Bill Powell (PWIA)
Mike, thank you for your work at the AAVSO. We all understand that you have to take care of your health and family, and will miss your vibrant spirit. I am looking forward to handing you your next observers award soon.
Best wishes - clear skies,
Stella.
Hi Mike,
thanks for all your input, thanks for all your output! You always had the right spirit, that endless optimism and the well-overtthought vision where the AAVSO's future was. Take care and keep rollin !!!
Bart
Mike, thanks for everything you have done to help the AAVSO with membership and development over your years of service. Personally, it has been a blast for me to talk in the same meeting session as you so many times in recent years. I wish you all the best in your upcoming research efforts with that new telescope! Maybe we can collaborate on a project sometime in the near future. In getting to know you a little better recently, it is clear why so many in the AAVSO membership consider you to be a friend.
Mike
Hey Mike
Sorry to see you go but sometimes a guy has to do what a guy has to do. I hope you will hang out on the Sequence Team list and we hear from you from time to time..
Thanks for everything.and you have my vote.
Jim
Thanks for the efforts Mike. I, for one, take advantage of them.
Ray
Mike -
You and your family are in my thoughts. Enjoy your new scope and take some time for yourself.
KL
Hi Mike
Thanks for your advocacy of so much of what AAVSO does.
Thanks also for your encouragement of VStar and for nudging me to be a CHOICE instructor.
All the very best for the future and I'm sure you'll continue to make your presence felt.
David
I'm glad I made it to the St. Louis meeting in May, so I could meet you before you left your current position with the AAVSO. You have done a great job for all the members of the AAVSO. But I am sure we will see you again (as your hint of running for council shows, you can't stay away forever). So this is not "goodbye," but more like "see you later." Good luck Mike!
The news is not too surprising given our lunch conversation in Las Cruces in 2015. Thanks for all your work over the years. May you have clear skies when you want to observe, and clouds when you need a break.
Mike was the 'voice' of the aavso for me when I joined in June 2012, literally. After a short phone call, I made the decision to join. Mike soon volunteered to mentor me. He directed me to the 10-star tutorial and helped me learn to pick targets appropriate to my equipment.
Since then I have realized how much easier it is to begin a 'career' of VSOing than it must of been years ago, before Mike's contributions. Because of his work on such things as the LPV section, the legacy LPV and CV lists, the VSX and the charts and sequences team (just to name a very few things), almost anyone with time and interest can 'plug in' to variable star observing. His work has even made it easier for me to introduce some of my students to observing.
Best wishes, and please take it easy. As many have said in this forum, you've got my vote for council when you decide to run.
Chris Maloney
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed working with you Mike. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach in the Choice cirriculum, I greatly benefited from the experience. I wish you clear skies and great observations!
Ed