Organization

The West Central Florida Group, Inc. is a non-profit Amateur Radio organization. The organization was founded in 2001 with a mission statement that reads, “To promote and advance the art, science, and visibility of Amateur Radio and provide necessary Amateur Radio communications infrastructure during communications emergencies.” Keeping with this spirit, we operate West Central Florida’s only regional coverage linked amateur radio repeater system, NI4CE. The network operates five analog repeaters from four sites, linked 24 hours a day. The group also operates numerous APRS digipeaters as well as a five NXDN digital repeater on the NXDN World-Wide Network. The Board of Directors is elected by active contributing members and is entrusted with the responsibility of operating and maintaining the NI4CE Repeater System and the organization’s other programs.

Our Leadership Team

Paul Toth – NB9X – President / Director

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra Class
Former Broadcast News and Weather Journalist
Former IT Manager and Programmer
Land Mobile Radio Consultant
2005 NOAA Environmental Hero

Matthew Copeland – NC4FD – Vice President / Director / Trustee

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra Class

Larry Gispert – KR4X – Secretary / Director

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra Class
FCC Commercial General Radio Telephone License with Ship’s Radar Endorsement
2nd Class Radio Telegraph License
U.S. Coast Guard as a Radioman (E-5)
A.A. in Business
A.S. in Radio Communications
B.S. in Business Management
Former radio communications and operations officer, Office of Emergency Management of Hillsborough County
Former Manager of the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue 9-1-1 Dispatch Center
Former Director of Emergency Management for Hillsborough County
Former President of the Florida Emergency Management Association (FEPA)
Former President of the International Association of Emergency Management (IAEM)
Retired from Hillsborough County Government after 32 years of service

Paul Knupke, Sr. – N4PK – Treasurer / Director

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra Class
FCC Commercial First Class Radio-Telephone license 1967-1984
B.S. in Electrical Engineering
Masters in Business Administration
Former Broadcast Engineer and On-Air Personality
Former Design Engineering Manager, R & D Manager, and Quality Manager
Former founder and President at a custom military & industrial electronics manufacturer

Tom Chance – K9XV – Director

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra Class

David Rockwell – W4PXE – Director

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra ClassFCC Commercial First Class Radiotelephone Operator, 1974-1984
B.S.in Electrical Engineering
M.S. in Systems Engineering
Former Broadcast Engineer
Former Land Mobile Radio Manager, USAF
Former Communications-Electronics Engineering Officer, USAF
Former Chief Scientist, Federal Data Systems
Branch Chief, Contingency Communications, US Coast Guard Auxiliary, National Staff
Radio Operator, Pinellas County Auxiliary Communications Service
ICS Instructor

Richard Sharp – KQ4KX – Director

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra Class
FCC General Radiotelephone License
General Mobile Radio Service License
Skywarn^® Spotter

Sanford Wyatt – KM4WXX

Licensed – Amateur Radio Technician Class
Long-time contributing member of the West Central Florida Group
Active as Net Manager for the ARRL WCF Eagle Net (conducted nightly on NI4CE at 8:30 pm)
Operations Coordinator of the Sarasota Agri-Resources Group (SARG) to support the rural agricultural community in Manatee and Sarasota Counties in emergencies.

Russell Delaney – N4RTD

Licensed – Amateur Radio Extra Class (licensed since 1990)
General Mobile Radio Service License (licensed since 2003)
Laurel VEC – Team Leader/Volunteer Examiner for LARC-FL Team
B.S. in Business Management
A.S. in Applied Management
Retired from Delta Air Lines
Former founder of Great Lakes Computer Systems

Dan Noah – WX4DAN

Licensed – Amateur Radio Technician Class
Served West Central Florida as Warning Coordination Meteorologist in Ruskin, FL for the past twenty-one years.
Instrumental in building the SKYWARN^® Severe Weather Spotter Program with the support of the West Central Florida Group (WCFG).
Long-time contributing member to the West Central Florida Group.

Postal Address:
West Central Florida Group, Inc.
11931 92nd Way N.
Largo, FL 33773-4321

E-Mail Addresses:
Webmaster: webmaster@ni4ce.org
Information: info@ni4ce.org
Contributions: support@ni4ce.org
NI4CE Trustee: trustee@ni4ce.org

Note: Skywarn® and the Skywarn® logo are registered trademarks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.