Bob Erler is the incoming president of the Black Forest Community Club, taking the reins from Eddie Bracken, who is now secretary. Don Root is the incoming vice president. Jeff Spector was re-elected as treasurer. Larry Fariss is a new board member, and two board members will continue with their terms. Bill Brugh has two more years and Judy Augustine has one year.Erler has been a Black Forest resident since 1973. He is a former BFCC board president and served with the Black Forest Saddle Club and the Cavalier Riding Club. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years as a pilot, including a tour in Vietnam. Retiring from USAF in 1981, Erler completed a law degree at Denver University and was in private practice for 11 years. In 1994, he began serving as a juvenile magistrate for the 4th Judicial District. He and his wife Cherie have three children. Erler flies a Mooney aircraft and he and his wife raise miniature horses.Root retired from Farmers State Bank with more than 40 years in the finance and lending industry. He works part time as a loan consultant in the mortgage industry, specializing in reverse mortgages for seniors. He is also a former BFCC board president and serves on the board of several nonprofit organizations.Spector served as board treasurer for the last three years. Spector and his family have resided in the community for seven years, after relocating from the San Francisco Bay Area. Jeff and his wife Debbie have participated in the Black Forest Festival and other club events.Bracken retired with 33 years of service from the Air Force in 1992. For the first 25 years of his service he held various positions in fighter aircraft operations. The last eight years of his service centered on logistics operations as the vice commander of an air logistics center.Since retiring, Bracken has worked as a consultant for space and aviation companies and various studies for the Department of Defense and the Air Force. He has volunteered for numerous agencies in the area, including the Pikes Peak Combined Federal Campaign Board of Directors, the Colorado Springs Airport Advisory Commission, El Paso County Planning Commission, the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerceís Eliminating Barriers to Business Working Group and the Black Forest Fire Department, where he serves on the board of directors.Fariss hails from Medford, Ore., and attended the Air Force Academy, where he played football and studied in graduate work. After a varied military career, in which he with his wife Michelle and their three sons lived in five states, his last few years of service were at the academy. He retired as a colonel after 29 years of service and 3,400 flying hours. Fariss serves as the president of the Black Forest Trails Association.The BFCC board meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the club hall at 12530 Black Forest Road. The February events at the club include a Troop 70 Chili Dinner Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. and a valentineís with musical performers ìSugarfootî Feb. 25 at 7p.m.
