KansasFest, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) in the state of Oregon, organization exclusively for educational purposes, that is dedicated to community, education, and preservation surrounding the Apple II line of computers. KansasFest, Inc. is run by a volunteer committee who receive no compensation for their services. If you’ve ever wondered who those individuals are, wonder no more:
Vince Briel brings his enthusiasm for all things Apple II to the Committee, helping with the Garage Giveaway, soldering workshops, and keeping the cats moving in the same direction.
Martin Doherty is the jack-of-all-trades for the Committee, keeping us on track in meetings, donating his time and energy to the Garage Giveaway, and going where no one has gone before on site visits to different universities.
Sean Fahey (Board Member) is the Committee’s site contact for Rockhurst University and scout for the Greater Kansas City area. He helps insure that KansasFest attendees get logistical information and support on local attractions and resources.
Jay Graham is a retired IT professional who dedicated 40 years of his career to the University of Pittsburgh. Jay has a passion for restoring vintage Apple computers, a hobby that blends his deep IT expertise with a love for innovation and history. He takes great satisfaction in bringing these iconic machines back to life, appreciating the craftsmanship and design that defined Apple’s early years. This pursuit reflects his dedication to honoring the past while celebrating the ingenuity that shaped modern technology. Jay values meaningful connections, maintaining lifelong friendships with inspiring individuals he’s met along the way. He cherishes time spent mentoring others and sharing knowledge, embodying a true commitment to professional and personal growth.
James Littlejohn is Secretary of the Navy (since he drives the largest land yacht on the committee) and the District Optimization of Legacy Factors Response Officer (2nd class). He enthusiastically transitions hyper-scale partnerships and dynamically cultivates user friendly collaboration for idea-sharing.
Kirk Mitchell is the treasurer, and manages each year’s Kookout luncheon. Dodges responsibility until cornered.
Peter Neubauer (Board Member) serves as vice president and treasurer. He coordinates with Rockhurst University, manages finances, assists with our online presence, and helps fix things before anybody notices the problems. Peter’s favorite computer is the Apple IIc+. Related, he spent years wondering why he was terrible at games before realizing that nobody else played with the accelerator enabled.
Javier Rivera is sir create-a-lot, focuses on marketing and promotion initiatives, and keeping our meetings running smoothly. Widely acknowledged as the Master of Retrobrite, Javier has an active YouTube channel where he shows off Apple II content, retrobriting, creating modern devices for retro systems, 3D parts, and designing and reproducing Apple II art.
Chris Torrence coordinates the schedule, helps with social media and branding, and also helps maintain the website. Chris has an online store where he sells Apple II merchandise and hardware and a YouTube channel where he reviews and repairs Apple II equipment. His most recent project is creating an online Apple II emulator written in TypeScript.
Tony Diaz (Committee Member in Perpetuity) was a core organizer of KansasFest for many, many years, and was instrumental in transitioning the event from Avila University to Rockhurst University in 2006. He helped keep it going through the lean years and facilitated its rebirth into the vibrant gathering it remains today. Tony passed away in October 2021.
There are countless others who have contributed to the event over the past three decades, including Kate Szkotnicki, Cindy Adams, Jerry Cline, Ken Gagne, Steve Gozdziewski, Paul Hagstrom, Martin Haye, Howard Katz, Andy Molloy, and Steven Weyhrich, as well as sponsors such as Resource Central and Tim Kellers. Carl Knoblock ran the “Peikop Endropov” airport taxi service for many years, while Devin Reade provided e-mail list support for years. To list everyone here would be impossible. But the most important contribution anyone can make to KansasFest is to show up — without attendees, there is no event for the committee to coordinate.