Dave Orr Brian Wright Peggy Nicholls Barb Marquer Mark Nowotny
(Big Apple) (Buzz) (Bluebird) (Tree) (Bump)
Director New Director Deputy Director Program Instructor Program Instructor
Dave Orr, Director - RETIRED (Big Apple)
DIRECTOR DAVE ORR RETIRES ON JUNE 4 AFTER 14 YEARS WORKING AT STARBASE. HE IS SAD TO LEAVE THE PROGRAM HE HAS WORKED AT FOR SO LONG, BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO DEVOTING EXTRA TIME TO PROJECTS HE HAS HAD TO DO PART-TIME PREVIOUSLY. THE "BIG APPLE" SAYS THE FOLKS AT STARBASE, BOTH IN CHEYENNE AND THE PROGRAM NATIONALLY, ARE A CLASS ACT. THEY HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR KIDS AT HEART. DAVE WANTS TO WISH ALL HIS STARBASE FRIENDS THE BEST OF LUCK IN THE FUTURE. Dave Orr is the Director of Wyoming STARBASE Academy. He came to work here in the fall of 1996. Dave is married to a kindergarten teacher in the Cheyenne schools. He has three children who are grown up and living on their own: one son has two children of his own and lives near Boise, Idaho; one son who is attending college in Denver after serving 3 1/2 years in the Army; and a daughter who lives in San Antonio, Texas. “Big Apple” has been in the field of education for over thirty years, both as a teacher and a school principal. He is a "Navy Brat," and lived all over the world while growing up. His family settled in Cheyenne in time for him to attend high school here and the University of Wyoming. He worked in Southern Nevada for eleven years prior to returning to Wyoming in 1981. He served as a principal at 6-8 middle school, a K-12 school, a 9-12 high school and 7-9 junior high in Cheyenne. He has taught at 4th, 5th and 6th grade levels. He follows the University of Wyoming Cowboy football and basketball programs faithfully. Go Pokes!!!
Stay tuned for information about new director, Buzz.
Peggy Nicholls, Deputy Director (Bluebird)
Peggy Nicholls started at STARBASE in the fall of 2002. “Bluebird” has been a fifth grade teacher who brought students to STARBASE when she was teaching in Cheyenne's schools. She was hired to help initially as our "super sub," to teach on days when one of the regular staff couldn't come in. Her role was expanded to teach on the second day of our four day rotation in a different location on base so we could have two classes on base on the same day. Bluebird started as full-time Program Instructor when one of our former instructors retired in December of 2005. Finally she became Deputy Director in February of 2007 when our former Deputy Director left STARBASE after thirteen years. She has truly come up "through the ranks."
Peggy is married and has two grown children. Her husband works for the State of Wyoming. Her son is married and lives in the Denver area. Her daughter recently moved with her husband from Boston to the Denver area. Bluebird and her husband are proud new grandparents for the first time!Barb Marquer, Program Instructor (Tree)
Barb "job shared" for nearly three years before starting to work full time this fall (2009). Tree brings special skills and background to STARBASE. Besides being a certified Science teacher, she has a B.A. in nursing and practiced in that field for many years. After several years working as a substitute teacher in the Cheyenne schools, we convinced her to come to work at STARBASE. Barb has been married for about thirty years and has a teen-aged son. Her hobbies include hiking in the Wyoming mountains, gardening, cooking, and rumor has it that she was once a "big time" ultra distance runner. Her family loves to hunt and spend time at their cabin in the Snowy Range Mountains.
Mark Nowotny, Program Instructor (Bump)
Mark is our part-time instructor. He recently retired from the Air Force as a helicopter flight engineer. He brings some real "hands-on" skills to STARBASE. Since his retirement from the USAF, he has completed his education to obtain his teaching credentials. He does substitute teaching in the Laramie County schools, works part-time at the Cheyenne Airport for Great Lakes Airline, and loves outdoor activities such as hiking, bicycling and cross country skiing. Bump is married to a teacher in the Cheyenne schools and has three children .
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