About us

Presidents of UPALAC

2011-present Brian Katz & Cheryl Kramer
2010-11 Sonia Ottusch
2009-10 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

Cadets marching down the ramp to Stillman Field

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. In 2010, UPALAC formally announced its organizational structure with bylaws that govern the actions of the club and board.

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

The content here is not an official publication of the U.S. Air Force Academy
or the United States Air Force.

Website design by Sonia Ottusch