Presidents of UPALAC
2009-present
Sonia Ottusch & Cyndhi Berwyn
2008-09 Dan & Geri Novak
2007-08 Lisa Harley
2005-07 Bill Preston
2003-05 Al & Cindy Frazier
2000-03
1998-2000 Ed & Marilyn Fitzgerald
HISTORY OF UPALAC
Class of 1959: Cadets wore white back then, not AF blue.
photo courtesy of National Geographic, c. 1959
The USAFA Parents Club of Los Angeles County (UPALAC) interfaces and coordinates with the Air Force Liaison Officers (ALOs) to serve the county of Los Angeles and greater L.A. metropolitan region, home to nearly ten million Angelanos. Our mission is to support the needs of the Academy, its appointees, cadets, and preppies, their families, and offer assistance to our local ALOs.
OUR WEBSITE
The website owes its beginnings to Bill Preston, was later maintained by Lisa Harley & her son, Jeff, and then redesigned in total in early 2009 with all new content by Sonia Ottusch.
Originally established in 2000 as the North Los Angeles Area Parents Club, it merged with the
West Los Angeles Parents Club in 2005. To better encompass the entire Los Angeles County, the name was changed to
the USAFA Parents' Association of Los Angeles County (UPALAC) under the guidance of Past Presidents, Al & Cindy Frazier.
The old club name of NLAAPC still surfaces from time to time.
We are comprised of the families of cadets of all years & preppies at the Academy. The experiences that our
cadets & preppies encounter are far different from what the average civilian university student encounters. The challenges
facing our cadet sometimes appear more difficult to the families than the cadets actually living through them.
Through our network of cadet families working with the USAFA ALOs, we make the reality of cadet & preppie life more accessible & help
the families put the sometimes alarming news from their cadets & preppies in better perspective.
If you are one of the few who have little concerns about
your cadet, perhaps we can still help with questions on events, logistics, parking, and other USAFA-related matters. This is
where the experience & expertise of our parents of upperclassmen have proven invaluable.
The Parents' Club is a wonderful place to make friends, especially with parents who understand what your
cadet or preppie talks about (or alludes to, or stays silent about)! So come join us to learn better how
to cogently support your cadet.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The National Geographic, June 1959 page is copyrighted and is the sole property of the
National Geographic Society. We use it here for the sole purpose of learning more about
the history of the United State Air Force Academy. To learn how to request
articles from past issues of National Geographic, visit
National Geographic
Back to Top
