Speakers and Bios
Todd DePastino
(412) 886-8531
tdepastino@gmail.com
Vietnam, Then and Now
Todd DePastino discusses the history of the Vietnam war through his trips back to Vietnam with members of the Veterans Breakfast Club. They retraced the footsteps of the veterans who’d served in country a half century earlier and took in Vietnam’s history and natural beauty. Todd will share what he and the veterans learned on the trip, including how Confucianism determines traffic patterns, why Vietnamese people always ask how old you are, why many young Vietnamese thanked us for the “American War,” and what it was like for our veterans to meet their former battlefield enemies.
Todd DePastino is founder and executive director of the Veterans Breakfast Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to sharing veterans’ stories with the public. He’s author of the award-winning BILL MAULDIN: A LIFE UP FRONT (W.W. Norton) and six other books. He has a Ph.D. in American History from Yale University and has taught at several places, including Waynesburg University where he won the Lucas-Hathaway Award for Teaching Excellence.
Bill Keith
814.341.9070
Bill_Keith@comcast.net
That Starship Has Sailed
A brief overview of the problems and possible solutions to interstellar travel, from Star Trekkish warp drives to
generation ships to vast arrays of laser stations powering light sails across the Void… and numerous others. We’ll
also attempt to discuss the Big Question… “Why?”
Bill Keith is a thirty-six-year veteran of Mensa who has written science fiction since the early 1980s… forty-six years
of exploring the cosmos and irritating readers with his rigorous (well, fairly) approach to what is and is not plausible
when it comes to traveling to the stars. He has published something approaching 200 books (but who’s counting?),
mostly military and military SF. He has lectured on the topic of this discussion at Indiana State University, as well as
serving as adjunct faculty for Seton Hill University’s master’s class in genre fiction. When he’s not writing, he’s…
wait a minute! No, he’s ALWAYS writing!…
Sarah Elizabeth Norris
724-448-5445
sarahoutloud@gmail.com
The World Through My Eyes: Solo Travel, Group Adventures, Local Connections.
What happens when travel is driven by curiosity rather than comfort? This presentation explores the journey
of a traveler who, since August 2023, has navigated five continents and 11 countries in pursuit of the world’s
most significant historical and cultural landmarks. The session moves past the typical tourist experience to focus on a travel philosophy centered on ancient architecture and deep cultural immersion. From the technical wonder of pyramids to the
organized chaos of global festivals, the discussion highlights the rewards of choosing the “road less paved.”
Since hitting the road in August 2023, Sarah has collected stamps from five continents and checked 11 countries off her
list. As a dedicated solo female backpacker, her travel style sits at the intersection of ancient history and deep cultural
immersion—meaning she’s never met a pyramid she didn’t like, and she maps her calendar around major world festivals.
While she appreciates a smooth itinerary, she firmly believes the best adventures are the ones where you have to
pack your own toilet paper. Whether navigating bustling local markets or exploring remote ruins, she travels for the grit,
the history, and the human connections along the way.
Martin Meighen
513-675-8443
nehram2@hotmail.com
Our Feathered Friends: Birds I Have Photographed
Various pictures of birds I have encountered
Martin Meighen is an amateur photographer who has always enjoyed taking pictures but really became interested in nature pictures, particularly birds, upon retiring.
Shirley Klass
412-780-7002
sklassplottel@gmail.com
Fabric Collage Birds
Make a 2-D collage of a bird using fabric. Supplies are provided.
An assiduous follower of Wheaton’s Law.
John Dale Hartman, AAS, BA, MPPM
Licensed Private Investigator
Chief of Police (Ret.), Consultant, Instructor/Trainer,
Staff Writer, Featured Columnist and
Podcast Law Enforcement Contributor
Pennsylvania Association of Licensed Investigators Director-at-Large Regions 3 & 4
412.677.8280
jhartman23646@gmail.com
johnhartmaninvestigations@gmail.com
johndalehartmaninvestigations.com
Human Trafficking Investigations
Provide the audience with a brief background on the issue of Human Trafficking as well as an understanding of
the investigative process.
John Dale Hartman AAS, BA, MPPM, Licensed Private Investigator and retired Chief of Police of Southwest
Regional Police Department, Pennsylvania Association of Licensed Investigators Director at Large for Regions
3 and 4, member of International Intelligence Network (Intellenet), presenter at the Bergen County Police Academy
to Police, Prosecutors, Security, Medical personnel and others in preparation of the World Cup-presentation on
Interviewing Victims of Human Trafficking, featured presenter and staff writer for Professional Investigator Magazine,
and postcast law enforcement contributor for Dave Bondy on Keeping it Real.
Brea Ludwigson & Carolyn (CJ) Ardash
814-341-9070
brea@mail.com
Afternoon Tea
Get up from that Hearts table and step through the Looking Glass. This year’s Tea Party is in Wonderland. Brea Ludwigson and CJ Ardash provide an array of things labeled “Eat Me!” and “Drink Me!” (we promise, nothing will happen except your taste buds will be tickled). Join us for a relaxing hour of whimsy, conviviality, and pondering the location of “the wabe.” Space is limited; sign up at registration desk.
Brea Ludwigson reads her books, pets her cats, and tends her garden/retreat center/wildlife refuge. She drinks tea while gazing upon her koi pond from the tea house by the bamboo grove in the back yard. She’s mostly happy.
Carolyn (CJ) Ardash grew up drinking tea, playing games, and learning how to make things with her Mum. She knit a tea cup once just so she could say that she did. The tea cup wasn’t functional, but the bikini she knit once was! She has been known to knit something, program something, and bake something all in the same day. Now that she’s retired, she’s working on creating original patterns and building computer games.
Dr. Robert Goldsmith
407-617-7599
Goldsmithrobert99@gmail.com
Dominion Tournament
This is the original and immensely popular deck building game. It’s easy to learn. If you would like to learn or need a refresher, show up 30 minutes before the tournament is scheduled to start. The tournament will be played in two rounds. Winners from Round 1 will go on to Round 2. This is the same tournament that Robert ran at the Annual Gathering.
Robert Goldsmith has been a member of Mensa since 1981, though he lapsed for several years while he was reproducing at an alarming rate. (He has seven children.) He is a second degree black belt in tae kwon do and has a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology. His hobbies include martial arts, traveling, tropical fish, reading, painting miniature figures, and board games.
Alan Baltis
216-258-4145
alanbaltis@gmail.com
Ashleigh Brilliant and His Wonderful Epigrams
Mensan Ashleigh Brilliant left us recently, & it would be a crying shame if we didn’t celebrate his amazing contribution to the world of short-form literature. Like, REALLY short. Asheligh wrote some of the pithiest epigrams ever created, many of which you know but did NOT know were attributed & copyrighted by him. Getting his 17-words-or-less sayings protected by copyright is itself an amazing story. Please join me for as many of his wittiest, wisest words as we can wedge into an hour. Things you’ve seen on countless T-shirts, posters, & coffee mugs. Gems like, “I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent.”
Alan Baltis is a long-time & life member of Mensa, happily married to & retired with his brilliant beauitful M wife Colleen. They’ve been to all 50 state capitols & seen America in its variety & beauty, Next: the world! He’s a voracious reader of books & comics, a watcher of movies & good TV, a player of games, a solver of puzzles. He hugged 833 Mensans in an hour, a world record at the time. He won on Jeopardy. He loves live comedy, music, & theater. Cats & dogs vouch for him; children come to him to read them stories. He likes deep dish pizza, turtle sundaes, & fresh bread . Friend him on Facebook; he won’t waste your time.
Benny Espera
408-202-5983
benny@arecibo.ai
What Happens to Gifted Kids When AI Gets Smarter?
AI can help gifted and neurodivergent people think, create, connect, and contribute in powerful new ways. But it can also weaken judgment, deepen isolation, and make human connection feel optional. In this interactive talk, Benny Esparra, a parent of a Mensa youth member and a human-centered AI strategist, explores how Mensa members can help shape an AI future that augments intelligence without replacing human cognition and wisdom. The session blends practical examples, humor, audience reflection, and a call to action for MENSA adults to mentor gifted youth into becoming connectors, not bystanders, in the age of AI.
With 30 years in healthcare, Benny Esparra is an accomplished executive with global expertise blending clinical, business, and technological antecedents. A distinguished ASU Sun Devil with a Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences and Healthcare Sociology, Benny’s academics are bolstered by his Executive MBA with a focus in Health AI from the University of Pittsburgh, published research on Artificial Intelligence Governance and Sustainability in Healthcare Business, and national certification from the American Board of AI in Medicine. Benny’s rich career trajectory spans from decorated service in the United States Air Force to leading roles at prestigious medical institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and innovative start-ups. Currently, he is the CEO of a global consulting firm for healthcare innovation, a Co-Founder of two startups building Health AI and BioTech solutions, and active on the Boards of Directors of non-profit organizations. In addition to his professional pursuits, Benny imparts his knowledge of AI in healthcare as a faculty member of medical education organizations. An active member of the Medical Intelligence Society and the Coalition for Health AI, he is deeply committed to driving responsible intelligence-based improvements in healthcare towards enhanced quality of life and health equity. Still, he proudly affirms that his greatest role is loving husband to his wondrous bride, Natalia, and father to his plucky daughter and MENSA Youth Member, Denali.
Dr. David Hewitt
602-790-9209
Dhewitt3@hotmail.com
Game Theory
Game Theory is a set of tools developed by economists to study what is likely to happen when decisions made by people (“players”) affect not just themselves, but other decision makers. Dr. Hewitt will discuss some of the classic problems examined in Game Theory, and how it is-and is not-related to playing games for entertainment.
Dr. David Hewitt is a lecturer in Economics at the University of Pittsburgh specializing in Game Theory. He has worked as both a game designer and product manager in the game industry. His hobby is, of course, board gaming.
DEB MERITT
8142704128
TAPRAGMATA@GMAIL.COM
THE PUZZLE BENEATH OUR FEET
We’ll use maps & geologic principals to better understand the surface of our planet. How do we know what we know? Being a geologist is very much like being a detective – putting the pieces together to make sense of what happened and why.
Is there such a thing as too many nifty rocks? Deb doesn’t think so 8^) She is retired and has little spare time (funny how that works), but she usually makes time to collect more rocks.
Jon Gruebele
jongruebele@gmail.com
Issues Facing American Mensa
American Mensa Board of Directors (AMC) members attending the WPAM RG will moderate a discussion about issues facing the organization. We’ll be happy to entertain your questions, comments, ideas, complaints, suggestions, challenges, and whatever else you’d like to address. The discussion is always interesting – please join us!
Jon Gruebele is the Chair of the American Mensa Board of Directors (AMC). He previously served three terms as American Mensa Regional Vice Chair 4 and was both AMC Second and First Vice Chair. He’s a former LocSec, longtime Proctor, and a Life Member. Jon has co-chaired Chicago Area Mensa’s “A Gathering of Gamers” (AGOG) Regional Gathering and has chaired and participated as a member on various national Committees. His background is in international marketing, IT, and management for a Fortune 100 company. He is a process and quality improvement expert.