Pomona Valley PTG : about us

First charted in June, 1963, the Pomona Valley Chapter has a rich history dating to the earliest days of the Piano Technicians Guild. Charter members and other very early members included Piano Technicians Guild luminaries such as:

Cecil Short - It was in Cecil Short's home that the first Pomona Valley Chapter meeting took place.
LaRoy Edwards - The innovative national piano service manager at Yamaha during its growth period in the US, and one-time apprentice of Cecil Short.
Francis Mehaffey - Technician/teacher whose instruction - often with the aid of LaRoy Edwards resulted in the addition of many more fine technicians, including several current members of the chapter.
Darrell Fandrich - A young piano technician in San Bernardino, later became the designer of the Fandrich-Trivelas Vertical Action, which is incorporated into the Fandrich and sons pianos.
Del Fandrich - Darrell's brother, also was an early chapter member, whom later became the Director of Research and Development for the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company in the 1980's.
Ed Seymour - Who for 30 years not only kept the chapter in stitches, but trained a number of technicians in his shop near Riverside, CA.
Paul Seabern - The first Southern California Combined Newsletter was the result of the efforts of the late Paul Seabern, who served as editor/compiler for two decades.

Today, more than four decades later, our chapter continues to thrive. Our current roster of more than thirty chapter members continue on where master craftsmen of the past have left off.

The Pomona Valley Chapter Board Members are:

President:	Ronald Kneale - RPT
Vice-President:	Kathy Gilkey - RPT
Secretary/Treasurer:	Mary Dahm
Member At Large:	Pamela Consoli - RPT
Member At Large:	John Gilkey
Member At Large:	Dianne Durben - RPT

Featured Technician

Kathleen Gilkey, RPT

Being first seems to be a way of life for Kathy Gilkey. She was, after all the first woman RPT in our chapter, the first woman President of our chapter, a graduate of the first class of the illustrious Francis Mehaffey school of piano technology and now the first "featured technician" of the first official WEB site of the Pomona Valley chapter.

Kathy began her career in piano technology 31 years ago after her dad planted the idea. She soon found herself studying in a 2 year piano technology program taught by Francis Mehaffey and LaRoy Edwards. Just two years into her career, she took and passed her RPT test at the craftsmen level and has never looked back.

Over the years she has worked in just about every facet of this diverse industry. Primarily a tuner, she has worked at rebuilding, high level regulation & voicing, teaching and even retail piano sales.

Today she combines all of her skills running Cucamonga Music Company, a retail store selling new and used pianos. Together with her sons, she keeps busier than ever tuning, rebuilding, selling and educating people about her greatest passion in life...pianos.