BCFR Board of Directors
Melissa Samuels
President
Melissa is an occupational therapist who works in ergonomics with business and industry across the world. Through this professional work, and her son’s love of building/coding and LEGOS, she discovered FIRST and became passionate about developing a STEM Program in Brown County. Melissa has been a coach and a mentor within the league for 5 years, has supported the growth of the K-3 program as well as the organization as a whole and is now the acting Vice President for the organization. Melissa’s goals for Brown County FIRST Robotics are to continue to offer STEM learning to all children in our community without barrier.
Mark Finn
Vice President
Mark is a mentor with Redbird Robotics and the parent of two students in the program. With a background in electrical engineering and a career in software development—and a love of mechanical design—he brings technical expertise and a passion for hands-on learning to his work with student teams. An avid tinkerer and maker, Mark is an alumnus of a similar hands-on program in college and was a founding member of a local makerspace As a member of Brown County FIRST Robotics, he is excited to be expanding access to STEM opportunities that emphasize hands-on projects, creative problem solving, and the life skills that come from teamwork, persistence, and responsibility.
Eric Christenson
IT Director
Eric is a software engineering manager at Schneider National and a founder of BAM Data Science. He has many years of experience in data science, software engineering, and technology leadership, primarily in the transportation and logistics industry. His involvement in FIRST Robotics helps him share his love of robotics with his daughter.
Emily Tietyen
Marketing Director
Jake Wavrunek
First Lego League Challenge Director
Jake Wavrunek is an enthusiast for both technology and the great outdoors, dedicated to creating memorable experiences with his family through camping and fishing adventures with his wife and kids. He has a passion for restoring vintage video game and arcade machines, reviving the charm of classic technology. This blend of outdoor exploration and technical skill highlights his diverse interests. Jake embraces life with passion and a commitment to fostering creativity and connection.
Jolie wavrunek
Treasurer
Jolie Wavrunek manages the development and execution of digital marketing campaigns at WBAY, part of Gray Media Group. Jolie is also highly engaged in her community and served as president of the Wilder Elementary PTO and actively volunteers with local youth sports. As a parent, she understands the impact hands-on learning and mentorship can have, which is why she’s proud to contribute to BCFR’s mission.
Nic Kaufmann
FIRST Technical challenge Director
Nic is a project coordinator with an Architectural/ Engineering firm in Green Bay. His autistic son helped bring him to the world of Lego robotics, trying to find a program where he could excel in using his love of building Legos and electronic interactions while helping him build his social skills. Nic started mentoring his immediate FLL Challenge team in 2021 and stepped into the FLL Challenge director position for Brown County in 2023. He wishes to extend the program to all areas of Brown County, in a sustainable nurturing environment where all students are welcome, and mentoring parents feel the ease at which STEM concepts can be introduced to their children.
Arrow Guetschow
Past President
An engineer by profession, Arrow Guetschow is the founder and Past President of Brown County FIRST Robotics. His journey with FIRST began over a decade ago when he helped launch the Lakeshore FIRST Robotics chapter in Manitowoc County, driven by a passion to get students interested in science and technology. He founded Brown County FIRST Robotics and served as its president for two years to get the organization off the ground. Arrow has seen firsthand how FIRST helps students build not only robots but also careers, and he is passionate about developing the local talent pool to keep future engineers, machinists, and other skilled professionals in our community.
Dave Junkhan
Secretary
Dave Junkhan is a Process Engineer at Foth Production Solutions, LLC, where he specializes in optimizing complex industrial systems. He applies this same passion for process and problem-solving to his role as Secretary for Brown County FIRST Robotics, a non-profit he helps lead and govern. As a mentor, Dave is dedicated to architecting the potential of young students, inspiring them to become the next generation of science and technology leaders in the community.