Board of Directors
Meet the dedicated volunteers who guide the Southern Cross Astronomical Society.
Our Leadership
SCAS is led by an elected board of directors who volunteer their time and expertise to guide the society’s mission and programs.
Russ Brick
President
I have been a SCAS member since 2004. Elected to the board in 2015 and president in 2018. I am also the Vendor Coordinator for the Winter Star Party. I am an avid visual astronomer and a reasonable astrophotographer.
Barb Yager
Secretary
Barb edited the Coal Sack for 25 years and published the Stargazer for 34 years (Miami Herald). Barb initiated an astronomy scholarship at FIU. She is our outreach coordinator and also directs the SCAS Astronomy Observatory at Bill Sadowski Park, Palmetto Bay.
Roberto Torres
Treasurer
Joined SCAS in 1992 and later became a board member. Astronomy has been a life-long passion. In addition to showing the public the wonders of the night sky, I take every opportunity to view as many objects as I can myself. More recently, I have begun dabbling in astrophotography.
Pat Saunders
Director
SCAS member since 1997. Served on the WSP Hospitality Team since 1998. Saw Saturn’s Encke Division at the 2003 WSP.
Neal Kleinman
Director
SCAS member since 2008, serving on the board since 2020. Neal introduces new members to our WhatsApp platform and updates our Facebook page. Neal attends the WSP and Saturday evenings at the D’Auria Observatory. Neal is a visual astronomer and an astrophotographer.
Sergio Fiquera
Director
Sergio has been a member since 2004 and was elected to the board in 2019. He enjoys sharing the wonders and stories of the night sky with the public. Besides astronomy, Sergio also enjoys Polynesian Tiki culture, singing/songwriting, scuba diving, and filming.
Paul Buscher
Director
First joined SCAS membership in 1985 and was elected to the board in 2000. Paul is a visual astronomer and has participated in many astronomical outreach activities over the years in the Miami-Dade County area, mostly in the Bill Sadowski nature reserve park.
Raul Vergara
Director
I have been a member of SCAS since 2020 but have had a lifelong interest in astronomy. I have recently taken up astrophotography. My real passion is showing the public some of the amazing objects we can see even in our light-polluted skies.
Dan Becker
Director
Dan enjoys astrophotography and learning image processing with PixInsight. He engages in community outreach for children while sharing his passion with others in his Astrophotography Facebook Group. He also likes to design and manufacture custom parts for his rigs.
Carlos Garcia
Director
I am a Miami native. I discovered astronomy in 2014. I have been a SCAS member since 2023 and was elected to the board of directors in 2024. I have several visual telescopes and Seestar smart scopes that I bring to our weekly star parties. I hope to meet you soon, under the stars.
Kevin Criado
Social Media Manager
I have been a member of SCAS since July 2021. I found my love for astrophotography back in 2021 when I took a blurry photo of the sky with my old Canon T6i and accidentally captured the Orion Nebula. I felt such a rush of excitement and I never stopped since.