LINDSAY CAPTANIS
PACIFIC COAST HOBBIES INC.; Lomita, CA
(Incumbent)

History:
Born and raised in Southern California. My store is a full line hobby store specializing in remote control. I mainly work in the back office doing bookkeeping, receiving orders and the work. I do all the toy and games ordering and help run the store.

Why I would like to serve on the NRHSA Board:
I love this organization and want to help stores in the hobby industry.

RODNEY ETHERIDGE
ETHERIDGE RACE PARTS INC.; Cottondale, AL

History:
I’m a 2005 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Marketing. I’ve been running Etheridge Race Parts since September 2005 when we first transitioned from a part time to full time business. During this time we have been featured in Performance Racing Industry magazine on two occasions. I started our Hobby division in October 2017 and it’s grown to become the majority of our business in 2023.

Why I would like to serve on the NRHSA Board:
I joined NRHSA in 2018 after my first Table Top Expo. This association has been such a great help in our growth over the last few years. I want to join the board to give back to NRHSA. I feel like I can bring some experience from within the Hobby industry and the Performance Parts industry to help NRHSA and fellow members be successful into the future. I also look at being a Board Member as great opportunity for me to grow both personally and professionally. 

FRED KANDAH
EXCEL RC AND HOBBIES; Garden City, MI

History:
I have been involved in the retail side of the industry since 1994. My original business was sold and I went on to a number of different projects until 2015 when I decided to re-enter the hobby industry with Excel RC and Hobbies. I have operated multiple retail stores and other types of businesses. I am very experienced with retail Point of Sale and e-commerce systems.Technology was my pathway through most of my life, but I find myself drawn back to the hobby industry that I love.

Why I would like to serve on the NRHSA Board:
I think I can bring good skills in technology and share my experience in retail and wholesale within the hobby and other industries that I have been involved in. I would love to interact with some of the manufacturers and suppliers in the industry to further the retailer's cause. Most recently, I was involved in discussions with a distributor whose system upgrade was difficult. I suggested that perhaps they should have given a bit more information regarding the upgrade and it's potential pitfalls so that the small business owner could better plan to deal with the aftermath.

DEBBIE PEPPERDINE
PM HOBBYCRAFT; Calgary Canada
(Incumbent)

History:
I’m the Vice President and Co-Owner our shop and I’ve been in the hobby (and craft) industry for over thirty years. At the present time, I handle all the accounting as well as most of our vendor relations and, because I’ve been in the industry for so long, I’ve experienced nearly every position that a retail hobby store has. I’ve been a Cashier, a Teacher, a Buyer, a Manager and since Doug and I purchased the company 20 years ago, I’ve been the Vice President.  

Why I would like to serve on the NRHSA Board:
As a co-owner in a business such as ours within the hobby industry, I believe that I would benefit NRHSA by providing a perspective of experience.  

MELISSA TRUXILLO
BIG BOYS TOYS AND HOBBIES; Lafayette, LA
(Incumbent)

History:
My name is Melissa Truxillo and I co-own Big Boy Toys and Hobbies in Lafayette, LA with my husband. We have been open for 19 years. When we opened in 2004, we were in a small 1,000 square foot store with very little inventory. Over the years we have expanded twice. The first time into a 2,000 sqft. store about 8 months after opening and again into a 4,000 sqft. store which is where we are currently. Our goal over the years has been to be a place where all members of the family can enjoy shopping in our store. We host many events, summer camps, and are always out in the community sharing the fun of RC. Being so event heavy and being extremely customer focused has been one of the main contributors to our success. 

Why I would like to serve on the NRHSA Board:
I love helping other retailers! I have learned a lot about running a successful hobby shop over the past 19 years through good times and bad times. Sharing that knowledge with other store owners to help make our industry stronger is incredibly important to me. Also, I have served on the NRHSA board in the past as a board member for 1 term and the Vice President for another term. I am currently the NRHSA Chairperson. I look forward to being able to help strengthen the hobby industry and NRHSA once again.

TONY WATERMAN
HOBBYTOWN WEST ALLIS WI

History: 
I have been a lifelong hobbyist who, after graduating from college with an anthropology degree, needed to
find something to do with myself. I had worked retail up to and through college and when I found an ad for
a HobbyTown manager, I applied. I spent the next five years running that store with great success before
deciding to branch out onto my own (with my recently retired mother) and open my own store. Since then,
I've had our store in three different locations growing from a small struggling store to a highly successful,
current version over the last 18+ years.

Why I would like to serve on the NRHSA Board:

I feel as though I would be an asset to the NRHSA Board as I am a prime example of a store owner who has
gone through various stages of success and failure and my experiences could be beneficial to those who
are willing to listen. I've been in the same place as a small, struggling store owner and at the same time, I've
been able to transform my business into a highly successful enterprise. My store is quirky, fun and we are
known for being an excellent store that could help other store owners out. I've also served on various committees over the years including marketing, franchise advisory council, etc.

KIRK WIGGS
BAD FAST HOBBIES; Sioux City, IA

History:
I currently reside in Sloan, Iowa with my wife & two children. I opened Bad Fast Hobbies in 2016 and it is located in Sioux City, Iowa. I got my first hobby grade RC when I was about 13 years old. I purchased a Tamiya Grasshopper from the local KB Toy Store. It didn’t take long before I learned about the Associated RC10 and soon bought one from my local hobby store. Within a few months I was racing in Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska at Hobbytown. I was very involved in the hobby and was sponsored by Traxxas in the early nineties. When I graduated from high school in 1988, I tried to open a hobby store but unfortunately it was not financially possible. I spoke with banks in hope of getting a loan and they pretty much just laughed at me. Owning my own hobby store has always been a dream of mine. I have had a passion for RC since my early days which has kept me in the hobby for over 40 years.

Why I would like to serve on the NRHSA Board:
I am very passionate about the hobby store industry. Owning a hobby store was a lifetime dream and I was finally able to open a store in 2016. I started in a 400 square foot building and today I am in a 15,000 square foot store with an indoor off-road carpet track. My business has grown exponentially since the start. I am proud to be a first-generation hobby store owner and I am very thankful for my success. I want to work with and meet other people that have the same passion for the industry as me. I want to grow the industry and work with our suppliers to make it a better industry for us and them. I have been involved in my local community for many years including being a volunteer Fire Fighter/EMT for 20 years. I also coached many different kids sports and was a Sloan Council Member. I feel I would be a very active and positive addition to the NRHSA Board. I am excited to be nominated and appreciate the opportunity.