Members

Craig Sande -
Craig is the organizer of the second chapter of the Single Malt Scotch Tasters of Reno. He is a Reno native and returned to the area in 1990 to practice gastroenterology, after attending Stanford University, Washington University of St. Louis Medical School, and University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. He enjoys amateur radio (licensed as AE7I), skiing, motorcycling, and backpacking. He is married with three daughters and will soon be an "empty nester." He was introduced to fine single malt scotch by his norwegian friend Gunne Rostrup of the first chapter. He looks forward to his first trip to Scotland in the spring of 2008 with fellow member Kevin Gaw.

Arthur W. Johnson -
Art Johnson is the retired Director Emeritus of Fleischmann Planetarium at UNR. He now enjoys pursuing a second career as a professional musician. He is Director of Music at Trinity Episcopal Church and teaches organ at UNR as well as privately. He is still into astronomy, as well, and enjoys casual stargazing. He'll also tune your piano!

Clark Harrison -
Clark is a gastroenterologist with Gastroenterology Consultants. In addition to his interest in fine single malts, he also enjoys wine tasting. He is an avid fly fisherman and spans the globe in search of fishing challenges.

David Rocovits -
David is an avid fan of the Borgward autos: Isabella, Goliath, and Lloyd. He enjoys pistol shooting as a sport, gardening, and photography. He has had the travel bug his entire life and almost anually travels to foreign lands. He takes a very active roll in raising money for the Vietnam Friendship Village where they try to rehabilitate children whose DNA has been damaged by the dioxines in agent orange. He grew fond of single malt scotch after a trip to Scotland and it has remained his favorite beverage since.

Edith Gaw -
Edith Gaw, born and raised in Switzerland, came to the US in 1984, after living in Indonesia. She pursued several teaching degrees in California and Missouri and has become a very successful demonstration teacher for the Guided Language Acquisition Design program in Washoe County School District. Hiking, running, and reading are serious pursuits for Edith, and her passion for good whisky is, while newfound, also serious.

Julie Meyer -
Julie is a senior research scientist for Charles River Labs in Sparks. She, too, is an avid skier and likes to garden as well. Julie is originally from Michigan.

Kevin Gaw -
Kevin is the Director of Career Development at the University of Nevada. His office is the typical career center for college students. They provide career counseling, help students find employment while enrolled as well as post-degree employment. They also help students with graduate and professional school planning. He is a licensed psychologist as well - with 10 years of college mental health experience. Born in San Francisco, raised in Malaysia, he came to the US for college, taught in Indonesia, returned to establish some roots state-side - and Reno and the Sierra Nevada have always been a "home" for his family (parents lived in Nevada prior to my coning into the world)- hence his "return" to these parts. He is an avid backpacker, and avid single malt whisky taster - and he as well considers himself as a neophyte… "the nosing challenges are complex!"

Russ Meyer -
Russ is responsible for the dining services at the University of Nevada, where he has been referred to as the "Mogul of Spam." He loves to ski and flyfish, and got "serious" about whisky after visiting Scotland in 2005. He was born on the east coast, migrated to the Midwest, went to college at Michigan State where he met his wife, Julie, and ended up in Reno by way of Maine and Missouri. He and Julie are flatwater kayakers, and Russ recently took up whitewater kayaking and is trying to perfect his Eskimo roll.

Jim Milligan -
Jim was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to the Reno area in 1999. He spent his college years (while in college) teaching leadership development skills to youth across America and in parts of Europe with a focus on community activism. This experience brought him to war zones in the Balkans, the United Nations in New York, Austria and to the doorsteps of various Senators in Washington with a message of human rights for children. He has a love for music, movies, skiing, beer, and the outdoors in general as well as enjoying great tasting single malts. He discovered these liquid gems through Kevin Gaw during a trip to Scotland in 2006 and has been hooked ever since. Currently, he is the Director of Operations for a large distribution center in Reno, He is married to Jeana and they have a new baby girl, Gianna, age 2 (at the time of this bio, 10/25/2007).
Aaron Van Hooser
Our latest member... more information pending.