Apple User Group Regional Liaisons are user group leaders who run successful user groups in their communities. As volunteers, they have made themselves available to help groups in their areas of responsibility thrive. They also network with groups in their regions and keep Apple informed on local needs.

arguelloMaria O. Arguello – Northeast U.S.
Maria has been president, member-at-large, vendor liaison, program co-chair, and special projects chair for the Main Line Macintosh Users Group (MLMUG). She is an active member of several user groups including the North Coast Macintosh Users Group (NCMUG), Macintosh Users Group of Southern New Jersey (MUGSNJ), Princeton Macintosh Users Group (PMUG) where she also serves as a board member, and the  Philadelphia PowerBook Users Group (PPUG). A retired teacher, Maria enjoys learning about the diversity of the user group community. She has a daughter and three grandchildren who are all Mac users. Maria has been an Apple evangelist since 1984. Maria covers CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI and VT.

coll Christian Coll – Canada
A native of Vancouver Island, Christian has been dealing with Macs since 1998, when he completed university and jumped into the computer business. Starting with educational sales, Christian moved into business and retail Mac sales until 2003, with a brief break to take multimedia training in 2000-2001. In 2000 he also started Alias Media and Support. Today, Christian is self employed full time as a Mac trainer and computer support professional. Christian has been President of the Victoria Mac User Group for two years, a job he loves.

gergoff2Amaya Gergoff – Southern Europe
Amaya was regional liaison for Latin America over 5 years, and served as editor and webmaster of her project, LatinMUG.org, a Macintosh User Group (MUG) center for Latin American and other Spanish-speaking countries. She is a System Engineer and works as a Macintosh Specialist Consultant whenever she can. She also was the president of Caracas Macintosh User Group for seven years.

gimenezFranco Giménez – Latin America
Born in Bell Ville (Córdoba), Argentina, Franco is the founder of Citricox, a multimedia agency based in Córdoba City. From LatinMUG he acts as the link between the different Macintosh User Groups (MUG) in Latin America, with the objective of improving member relations. He is also the co-manager of the Adobe User Group Córdoba where he is in charge of training in Dremaweaver, HTML, CSS and other design related tools.

08kampelGary Kampel – Southeast U.S.
Gary has worn several hats (several times) in the Palm Beach MUG – as President, Vice-president, newsletter editor, Apple Ambassador, webmaster, SIG leader and member of the Board of Directors. His first personal computer was an Apple II. His first Macintosh was an SE-20. For his day job, Mr. Kampel works as a Customer Support Representative for JTech Communications. He keeps busy on weekends presenting the Apple software and Macs to local non-profit organizations. Gary covers AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, and TN.

koppGeorge Kopp – Northwest/North Central U.S.
George is a founding member of the appleJAC Mac User Group where he has served as president, vice president, secretary, editor, treasurer, librarian and currently serves as the club’s Web Master. George works for the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department managing the Computer Aided Drafting and Design systems for over 600 users statewide. He is a registered Professional Engineer, a certified Apple technician and dedicated Mac and PC consultant. His hobbies also include black powder rifle shooting and adult leader development training for the Boy Scouts of America. George covers AK, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, MT, NE, ND, OR, SD, WA, WI, and WY.

lawsonSue Lawson – Pro Apps User Groups
Sue Lawson has been an active member of the Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group (Chifcpug) for several years. Currently serving as Vice-President, Newsletter Editor and Apple Ambassador for Chifcpug, Sue divides her time between editing indie-feature films, sharpening her skills and “giving back” to the Apple community by acting as a resource for individuals and Pro User Groups alike. In her “free time”, she edits corporate videos.

moffattGraeme Moffatt – New Zealand, Australia, and Oceania
Graeme is secretary and past president of the Wellington Mac User Group (New Zealand). He started with an Apple II plus in 1984, moved to a Mac Plus in 1989, and joined his user group in 1993. He has been an active member of the committee since 1995. In his “spare time” he maintains the New Zealand Mac Groups web site, where he works with user groups all over the region. He runs his own desktop publishing business and works on tourist-related videos and DVDs.

ohepJulio Ohep – Online Groups
Julio is a double national with both U.S. and Venezuelan citizenship. He is a licensed psychologist who changed careers after realizing that he always ended up fixing the computers (and enjoying it). Currently a computer consultant for Macintosh-based businesses, Julio has convinced more people to switch than he can remember. A Mac user since 1986, he attended his first meeting of CaracasMUG in 2001 and hasn’t stopped having fun since.

podressoffAlex Podressoff – Southwest U.S.
Alex is a long time member of Arizona Macintosh User’s Group starting out as a volunteer disk copier on his “portable” Mac SE. After several terms as vice-president, Alex was elected president and is now serving his second term. Alex works for a quasi government utility where he is an IT asset manager. His employer has always encouraged civic volunteering, so Alex spent 25 years as a volunteer deputy sheriff, served two terms as board president of the local community theater, and is currently on a city commission. Alex covers AZ, CA, CO, HI, NV, and UT.

pougeoiseAlain Pougeoise – Northern Europe
Alain is a senior executive by day and is also the honorary president and founder of InterMac and co-founder of MacEurope, a network for European Apple User Group leaders. A father of two, Alain lives in Lambersart, the suburbs of Lille in the North of France and has been using the Mac since the days of the Mac Plus.

dougsmithDoug Smith – South Central U.S.
Doug Smith is a native Texan, whose fascination with all things Apple began with the purchase of a Fat Mac in 1985. As a member of the Houston Area Apple Users Group, he currently serves as the First VP of Programs. His interests include QTVR production for a local real estate company’s web site, video editing of safety and training films for work, hunting, sailing and digital photography. Doug also serves as a city commissioner in his hometown of Lake Jackson Texas, which is an hour south of Houston. Doug has a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas in Communications/Radio Television and Film and has worked for the Dow Chemical Company for the past 20 years. Doug covers AR, LA, MS, NM, OK, and TX.

mishimaChise Tejima – Japan
Chise is a professional graphic designer and works as a designer and web Ticce. art, a multimedia and web solutions corporation based in Osaka, Japan. She received advanced training in graphic design and fine art while attending university in Canada. Chise is an active member of the Kinki Mac Users Group (KMUG) executive team in Osaka and often gives popular presentations on design, DTP, and the development of winning websites.

macbethMacbeth Vannoy – East Central U.S.
Macbeth, of the North Coast Macintosh Users Group of Ohio, is first and foremost, wife, mom and Mac enthusiast, effectively off-track as a medical assistant. Continuing interest in self-enlightenment and fun led to volunteering at the local Macintosh user group after several years of serving on local school district technology committees. She has been heavily involved in NCMUG-OH’s outreach program, collecting old computers and refurbishing them for donation to schools and needy families. Macbeth is in her fifth year of leadership at NCMUG-OH, serving as a second-term vice-president, program coordinator, and review/vendor co-liaison. Macbeth covers IN, KY, MI, OH, PA, VA, and WV.