Leadership

Musical Leadership

DIrector – Mark Slamka – Mark won the 2003 International Barbershop quartet contest with his quartet Powerplay, singing baritone with his dad, Jack, brother, Mike, and cousin, Don. He directed the McComb County Michigan chapter to International competition in 2004, 2005 and 2006.  He's been directing the Barbergators since 2022 and currently sings lead in Time of Our Lives quartet.  

Associate Director/President – Dave Jacobs – Dave joined the Barbergators in 1984. He has served as President since 2020, navigating the chapter through the COVID epidemic to and as Director from 1990 to 1993 and 2006 to 2021 (with one year off in 2018-2019 for good behavior). He’s also served as section leader, and on the board as Music VP and Program VP. He served on the District Board as VP of Chorus Director Development for several years. He has also taught the Director’s track and the Music VP track at the district’s Leadership Academy. He was born and raised in Gainesville. Graduated from Eastside High School, where he sang in the BarberRams. He holds a BSEE from UF.

Board of Directors

Dick Moyer – Immediate Past President – Dick Moyer has been a member of the Gainesville Barbergators for 14 years. Prior to joining the Barbergators, he had not sung a serious note other than in the shower and thus had a lot to learn. One of the things he likes best about the Barbergators is the heterogenous mixture of members stemming from various backgrounds. During his tenure in the Barbergators organization, he has been President, Member-at-Large, Show committee chair for many shows (i.e., Christmas and other shows). Though now retired, in his professional life, he was a Department Chair in the College of Medicine for nearly 20 years before assuming a position as Senior Associate Dean for Research in the College of Medicine, a position which he held until retirement.

David Nations – Secretary – David Nations joined the Barbergators in 2021 and is a member of the chorus music team. He works for UF Health as a Process Engineering Consultant. He has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Statistics — both from UF. David also volunteers as an Assistant Scoutmaster with Scouts BSA Troop 125.

William McCombie – Treasurer – William first joined the Barbergators in 2019, after seeing them perform in the Autism in the Arts talent show and figured that barbershop singing might be fun - after learning a bunch of Christmas songs for the 2019 Holiday Harmonies show, the whole world shut down. He holds a master’s degree in computer science from UF and currently work as a programmer for Gainesville-based SharpSpring (recently acquired by Constant Contact)

Bob Tucker – VP Marketing/PR – Bob Tucker has been a member of the Barbergators for 14 years and has previously served on the Board as an at-large member.  He has also performed with the Heralds of Harmony in Tampa, and the Big O Chorus in Jacksonville. He has competed several times at the international level with the Heralds of Harmony and taken 3rd place in the District Quartet Competition with FOURTUNATE and became one of the District's Senior Quartet champions with TBQ. Besides graduate course work in marketing, Bob has run a rental management business in Gainesville for 17 years and actively advertises and markets these rentals to attract new students each year.

Kelly Young – VP Membership – Kelly Young has been associated with the Barbergators since September of 2022. In his private life, he writes music with his band “Never the Same” and work for Event Tickets Center as a Data Analyst. Kelly also sings with the Santa Fe College chorus and is an alumnus of their Performing Arts school.

Rob Lotzkar – VP Music and Performance – Rob Lotzkar (Music VP) has been a member of the Barbergators since March 1974. He was the director of the chorus from the early 80's to 1988, with a little break in there. He produced a number of annual shows and also coached many quartets, including Dave's high school quartet. A lifelong quartetter, Rob encourages everyone to try quartetting and see if you like it. Rob also has a particular fondness for barbershop from the 60's to the 80's. Rob was born in Ft. Meade, Maryland in 1954 and subsequently lived in Nevada, Kansas, Maryland again, Pittsburgh, Maryland again, and Gainesville. He moved to Gainesville in 1971. He worked at the Alachua County Crisis Center as a Crisis Counselor. Rob is retired now since 2012.

Members-at-Large

Steve Black – Member-at-Large – Steven H. Black has been associated with the Barbergators since 1988, and an active member for over 20 years now. He began serving on the Board early last year.  His singing history includes large choruses, as well as small Madrigal & Chamber choirs.  While traveling to visit family, he has had the opportunity to sing briefly with the Yankee Clipper Chorus in Maine and the Gulf Coast Harmonizers in Fort Myers.  Steve is now a retired Pharmacist, having completed his PharmD degree at UF in '94 and working a variety of venues throughout North Florida.

Al Lewin – Member-at-Large – Al Lewin has been a member of the Barbergators Chorus since 2010 and served as chapter secretary for the past two years. His musical training began in the Hammond, Indiana public schools with violin and high school chorus (bass/ 2^ndtenor). He joined the Barbergators because he heard the chorus perform and because two friends (Dick Moyer and Rich Condit) enjoyed being members. He has remained a member because he enjoys the companionship and learning to listen and to improve performance skills. In professional life, Al recently retired as Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, teaching and conducting research on gene therapy for retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. He and Patsy have three children and five grandchildren. He is now busy working around the house and playing with Jules and James, his local grandkids.

Paul Tousignant – Member-at-Large – Paul Tousignant is a first year Barbershop singer as a Baritone/Bass. His prior singing experience is two semesters with the Santa Fe Singers and a production of The Wizard of Oz with the Gainesville Community Playhouse. He obtained a BAS in Organizational Management through Santa Fe College in 2014 and has been owner/operator of Gainesville Violins since 2017. In his off time, he is an active member in his church and likes to swing dance.