Shane Heil  

Responsibilities:
I have owned marine aquariums for over 10 years now. Like many of my good friends, what began as a hobby has ultimately become a lifestyle. I plan most of my activities - even vacations, to include or work around my reef keeping hobby. I suppose there are less productive things I could be doing with my time and money.

Speaking of money; I enjoy saving it - so I encourage and participate in many do it yourself projects. But I have learned that DIY and saving money do not necessarily equal one another. Sometimes you just have to pay the price - as painful as it may be.

I have learned so much on my journey through the reef keeping hobby. I've learned more biology and chemistry through my aquarium than I ever gleaned in a classroom. I've learned to appreciate the reefs of the world and how dependent we are on their continued success. I've learned that a community of hobbyists can have far more success (and fun) than any single person on their own. Most importantly, I've learned patience and tolerance for the opinions of others (even if they're wrong) and these lessons will be with me long after my tanks are dry.

Shane Silcox

Responsibilities:

I was born and raised in Sandy. I currently work for Siemens as a Developer / Cisco integrator. My wife stays at home with our 15 month old daughter who I think is as addicted to this hobby as I am.
I grew up loving animals, but because my parents didn't like the added work and responsibility of a furry pet, they got me fish, hence started the addiction. As most I started with freshwater fish, and kept them for quite a while until one of them died and the rest of the tank crashed. I got quite dismayed and gave up on fish for quite a while. Then last year while checking out turtles at the aquarium with my wife, we got interested in saltwater, and toward the end of my research for my new tank I ran across the WMAS. I wish I would have known about it sooner! The assistance and knowledge transfer that I have gotten from so many people here has been invaluable. I look forward to many great years with my new friends. Thanks WMAS!

Responsibilities:  Council Member, Meeting Greeter

Rob and I have had aquariums our whole lives. Isn't that weird how 2 fish nerds find each other? Now, we share our obsession of aquatic design (Although, I'm more into design, and he's more into living creatures). We have 4 tanks now: a reef tank, a community tank, and an aggressive tank. They are built into the wall and connected by a big sump, so we only have to "tinker" with one system. We also have a small specimen tank we are starting. We are looking for the perfect "specimen" right now!
Rob and I have been WMAS fish nerds almost since it's conception. We have met some really cool people and even some very famous authors. Most of our corals are from the WMAS. All of our corals have been shared with other club members and every fish store show tank in our part of the valley. We have watched our club expand and change and evolve into a very impressive group of wonderful friends! Thanks, WMAS!

Responsibilities: Council Member, Reef Tour Coordinator

I have been into aquariums my entire life. I have only been doing salt water for approximately four years now. Once I started salt water it began an obsession. I have two salt tanks currently, and a frag tank project in progress. I have a 125-gallon reef with a variety of corals, a 10-gallon with 2 bubble tip anemones and a pair of ocellaris clown fish, and a 30-gallon fresh water tank that I don�t have the heart to tear down. I think that ocean life by far is the most exotic on the planet, and I really enjoy having a small piece of that to take care of in my home.

I am a mechanic at a car dealership. I have been doing this for around 12 years. I currently work on Hyundai, Isuzu and .I am also a certified Mitsubishi Technician. I used to love this job, but now it pretty much just pays the bills.

This is my first year on the presidency and I am very excited about it. I look forward to contributing and helping out the club in anyway I can. I have been in the club for approximately three years. I have met some great people and made some good friends. I have learned a lot from the club, both from the meeting presentations and from individual members.

Some of my other interests include:
First is my family. I have been married for almost 9 years to my wife, Jennifer. I also have a new baby boy, Jake. I love being a father.
I like playing with computers, almost anything out doors like camping, hiking, fishing, Etc. I also love music and am partial to stuff from the eighties era.
I have an RX-7 project car, which I hope to finish one day.

Responsibilities: Council Member, Web Master

I have loved fish and animals my whole life.  I setup my first saltwater aquarium when I was 12 years old.  As soon as I was living on my own I filled my house with aquariums.  I am an entrepreneur at heart and have owned various businesses related to aquariums and pets including both retail and wholesale.  I currently work in the computer industry and still run the CoralPlanet and a couple other businesses associated with the industry including the aquaticdatabase.com.  Besides fish and corals I also enjoy scuba diving, camping, board and card games, computers, electronics, traveling, and helping people start and run small businesses.

Responsibilities: Council Member

What am I doing here? I�m living a second childhood! Just like when I was a kid and watched tadpoles grow into toads in an algae planted, old porcelain wash basin! Thanks Mom. And thanks Dad for helping me fix that old, broken, 10 gal., stainless steel, Metaframe brand aquarium from Uncle Perry. Both of you inspired my early freshwater and saltwater aquariums. And thanks again Dad for supporting me and for keeping that tank going during my 2 years away, serving the Lord in Australia. Many thanks to my sweet wife for giving me a 55 gal. aquarium as a first birthday present and for enjoying with me, the many underwater worlds that I created over the years.

The friends I have made in this hobby and club are some of the best people in the world. It�s just a lot of good fun to do this hobby. I hope to be doing it for many more years to come. I guess I am like the last of the old fixtures here in this clubhouse, since helping start the WMAS in 1995 with five other hobbyists.

Will Spencer

Responsibilities: Council Member, Accountant, Membership

I have loved fish all my life.  I started with a 10 gallon freshwater aquarium when I was 10 years old.  This soon became several 10 gallon aquariums.  14 years later I still had one of those 10 gallon tanks when my wife gave me a 75 gallon tank.  I had always wanted a large tank and this one got me hooked.  My wife jokingly says it�s her biggest mistake of our marriage.  In July of 2003 my boss got a 150 gallon tank for our office and asked me to do something with it.  I decided to go with a saltwater reef even though I had no previous experience.  With the help of this club that tank has become a success.  I purchased a 180 gallon tank from Seahorse Suzy in November of 2003 and have it in my fishroom at home.  This tank has provided endless hours of gazing at all the life in my own little reef.  I am now an official Fish Junky with 6 tanks totaling almost 500 gallons of water and another 130 gallon tank in the works.  My goal now is to keep the water in the tanks and off the floor.

I love this club and the people in it.  I love talking fish to anyone who will listen and anyone who can help me keep my animals better. 

I am a tax accountant by trade and hope to be able to use my expertise to help this club in any way possible.  It will take a long time to give enough back to this club to pay for the advice, expertise and friendship I have received since joining in September 2003.

Shawn Winterbottom

Responsibilities: Council Member, Tank of the Month Coordinator

I have lived in Sandy area since I was eight years old and graduated from Jordan High School.  In 1993, after received my Associates Degree, in Computer Information Systems, I started working for Qqest Software Systems as a Computer Programmer.  I have always loved the aquarium hobby started with a 55 gallon FW aquarium in my office.  I also had a 35 gallon FW tank at home.  I especially enjoyed cichlids and eels.  Another of my favorites were my Oscar and Clown Knife.  My boss, not be out done, decided to start a 150 gallon SW fish-only tank also in the office.  In 2002, our family relocated to a larger home.  I inherited the 150 gallon tank from my boss and traded my FW tank in on a 75 gallon SW reef aquarium and never looked back.  I first joined the WMAS in early 2003.  It has been great!!.  With five sons, I am also very involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and am currently serving as Scout Master.  Some of my other hobbies are (when and if I have time) rocketry, RC trucks, hunting, camping and fishing.   Other pets include, dogs, frogs, lizards, birds, and rats.   Yes my house is a zoo.