Dave Orr (Peggy Nicholls) Lesa Wilhelm Barb Marquer
(Big Apple) (Bluebird) (George) (Tree)
Director Deputy Director Program Instructors
Dave Orr, Director (Big Apple)
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 in the Army; and a twenty-two year old 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!!! How 'bout those Cowgirls -- they they made it to the NCAAs for the first time last year!!
Peggy Nicholls, Deputy Director (Bluebird)
Peggy Nicholls started at STARBASE in the fall of 2002. “Bluebird” is a retired 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 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 year. She has truly come up "through the ranks."
Peggy is married and has two grown children. Her husband is working 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.Lesa Wilhelm, Program Instructor (George)
Lesa has been working at STARBASE since 2005. She and Tree "job share," and they both work on Day Two when we have two classes on site. George was also a fifth grade teacher in Laramie County School District #1, but left teaching to raise her babies. Her daughter has now started school, her son who is still a pre-schooler. Her husband works for the State of Wyoming. She is a Cornhusker fan in a den of University of Wyoming Cowboy lovers who bleed brown and gold.
Barb Marquer, Program Instructor (Tree)
Barb "job shares" with George, and they both work on Day Two when we have two classes on site. 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 nearly 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.
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