Derrick Baker Bio.
I am married to a wonderful woman Meredith, and we have three boys Owen (7 1/2), Kent (4), and Drew (2). I work for Applied Industrial Technologies as the office manager. We are a power transmission distributor, ball bearings, gear reducers etc.
I was born in Holland, MI and have lived here most of my life. I graduated from West Ottawa in 1993, and from Grand Valley State University in 1998 with a B.A. in History and Russian studies, and from Grand Valley State University in 2005 with a M.B.A.. I was able to spend 6 weeks in Russia for school, and was able to play chess at the St. Petersburg chess club!
Hobbies include chess, tennis, reading history, Russian lit. and business related books. I played chess tournaments while I was in High school and achieved a rating of 1474, which is a mid level player. My best tournament was the 1992 MI junior chess championship where I went undefeated with 3 wins and two draws and placed 4th over all. Chess has been a big part of my life. I label myself as a chess player because there is a difference between a chess player and someone who plays chess.
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Dan Hrononcheck Bio.
Dan was married in June of 2009 to the most amazing person in the world. After marrying Jessica, we immediately packed up and moved to Holland where she took up a position at Hope College. Dan has no children at this time, but are planning for a family in the near future.
Dan's Hobbies include most sports, but especially soccer and basketball, which I still play a little during my lunch breaks. I also like many outdoorsy things, but especially hiking, boating, and fishing. When I'm not being active, I like to read whatever I can get my hands on.
I am originally from Kokomo, IN and have only been playing chess seriously since 2003. It has been a wild journey since then, leading me as far as Berlin, Germany where I achieved an expert ranking (Fide 2111) in the Unicorn Open in 2007. For the past six years, I have been teaching young students to play chess and have enjoyed seeing them change and grow. I have coached several individual state champions in Indiana, and have had many student teams finish in the top 10.
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David Posthuma Bio.
David Posthuma is President of
E-Church Essentials and
AssessMe.org. David has two children, Joshua (6 yrs) and Alyssa (8 yrs).
David holds a Bachalor of Arts in Education from Calvin College, and a Masters degree from Trinity International University.
David's hobbies includes amateur radio, guitar, and supporting Joshua's chess competition interests.
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Tamara Posthuma Bio.
Tamara Posthuma holds a Bachalor of Arts in Education from Calvin College, and a Master's degree in Communication from the University of South Florida.
Tamara's hobbies includes sewing, crafts, and supporting her children's interests.
