As the 2012 CSTS season comes to a close, we’re excited to announce that Dave Catoe will be taking over the reins for 2013!

Dave hails from Norfolk, Virginia, is a member of the Tidewater Browncoats and has been the lead organiser of CSTS Norfolk since 2010. He’s found a great mother/daughter team to take over the running of the local event, and is keen to put his energy into the global role. As a retired air traffic controller, he’s got a real handle on managing the stresses that may come with the job, and as an ex-marine he’s more than up for the challenge. And of course, he loves Firefly, Serenity and Equality Now! He first discovered Firefly in 2005 after catching “Our Mrs Reynolds” on the SciFi channel – he ran straight out and bought the box set that same evening!

In his application, Dave shared why he wanted to take on this challenging role: “Why do I want to do it? Because I’ve come to love the CSTS campaign and you needed somebody to step up and do the job. I had intended one day to volunteer at some level at Global, I’ve run 3 decent events and now that I’m retired I have the time to do my bit for the cause.” In addition to running his local CSTS event and taking charge of the Tidewater Browncoats, Dave has also organized several food drives through his local Browncoat group in conjunction with Shindigs, organised a concert with Marian Call in conjunction with a local comic book shop, and has just finished putting together a concert with Mikey Mason. And somehow he still finds time to be an avid sailor and amateur blacksmith!

Tanya Morris, of the Charlotte Browncoats and a former Global Team member, was fortunate to be Dave’s mentor in his first year as a local organiser. She says “I met Dave as his CSTS mentor during his first year as a local organizer in Norfolk, VA in 2010. At the time, he was armed with enthusiasm and ambition. He had a clear vision of his goals for the Norfolk event. And he worked tirelessly for months to make his first event a success. He learned about grass-roots promotion and how to source his local volunteers. And his first event turned a profit! Since then, Dave and I have stayed in touch. He remains a very determined leader for his Tidewater Browncoats, attends nearby conventions to promote CSTS, has befriended local business owners and members of other sci-fi fandoms, and is constantly brainstorming ways to improve. This past summer, I finally had a chance to attend the Norfolk CSTS event and it was the most fun I’ve had at any of the charity events I’ve attended. It was especially nice to be able to see Dave in action. Advance planning by Dave prevents a lot of last-minute emergencies, and he recruited a number of volunteers so he didn’t end up having to do every job. He is a no-nonsense leader, but took the time to compliment and reward all of his volunteers. He recognizes other people’s strengths and uses their talents to benefit the team. Further, Dave is exceedingly interested in the success of CSTS as a whole. He pays close attention to the events in other parts of the world. I think Dave would be an excellent Global Event Coordinator who will work well with the support team and push CSTS forward through another successful year.”

Already things are starting to take shape for 2013! Our art contest has come to an end and we’re very excited to announce that the winner is Steve Jeyes!