Lucas Dobrzanski is the founder, president, and coach of the Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation.
A retired Chemical Engineer, competitive fencer, and a three-time member of the USA veteran team to World Championships, is a dedicated promoter and contributor to the success of the Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation. Lucas started his fencing career at the Los Angeles Athletic Club under Metre D ’Arms Delmar Calvert. He fenced on the UCD fencing team and was the founding president of the UCD fencing club in 1967.
After years of inactivity, Lucas started back in fencing in 2003. He has fenced in all 3 weapons at national competitions and was a finalist in several national tournaments of the USFA.
He represented the US in three Veterans World Championships with a best finish of 15th in the world. He is the founding president of Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation, coach, and fencer. Dedicated to putting Kern County fencing on the map by producing national-level fencers while promoting the charitable side of the foundation thru the “Smart Fencing for Kern County” program.
Ian Silva started fencing at California State University, Bakersfield in the 1990s and has returned to the sport in recent years as a member of the Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation. Primarily a foilist, he served for a time as an assistant coach. However, he has largely stopped coaching to focus on bringing his own skill set up to date. Ian retired from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office in 2022 as a Detentions Lieutenant and currently serves as a Field Representative with the California Board of State and Community Corrections.
Mark graduated from the University of Southern California in 1996 and practiced public accounting with BDO Seidman, LLP in Los Angeles.
Mark has spent over twenty years in the Finance and Accounting world in various industries from Film/TV Entertainment, Music Entertainment, Large-Scale Agriculture, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Internet Services, to Health and Fitness. He is currently working in Renewable/Sustainable Energy and is the Chief Financial Officer at Bakersfield Renewable Fuels, an organization which is building a Renewable Diesel Fuel refinery in Bakersfield, California.
Mark, a saber fencer, enjoys spending time with his wife and many children and volunteering within the community.
Amin was born and raised in Kern County. He is a proud graduate of Taft Union High School and completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA. He obtained his medical degree at USC, where he also did his residency training in obstetrics and gynecology. He then spent three years at the University of Colorado for his fellowship training. He is currently a gynecologic oncologist at Kern Medical, providing state-of-the-art oncology care to Central Valley women. He is a passionate supporter of educational causes, both in Kern County and in West Africa, where he and his wife Michelle served as Peace Corps volunteers. He enjoys hiking, running, and traveling. His young son is a burgeoning fencer at KAFF
A graduate from the University of Arkansas in 2008, he started his professional career in Oil and Gas as a wireline engineer in Wyoming. Having worked with oil rigs in every state west of Kansas, he eventually settled his family here and has called Bakersfield his home for the past decade. Continuing to work in Oil and Gas, he is now employed as a project engineer at a local refinery.
Proud father of 5, his family became involved with Kern Athletic Foundation through Valley Oaks Charter School when his son chose to take a few classes in 2020. His son has been an avid foil fencer ever since
Mike is an aeronautical engineer who has worked for the Air Force since the 1990s testing a variety of aircraft and military systems at Edwards Air Force Base. A graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Mike has lived in Bakersfield for the past 17 years with his family that includes his son who is an aspiring fencer.
Jeni is originally from Los Angeles County and has lived in numerous other states before returning to California to be near family. She love travelling, hiking, and spending time with her two sons — one of whom is an avid foil fencer. Jeni has a master’s degree in Writing and Poetics and has been a professional editor since 2006.
A Bakersfield native, married to Amanda for 25 years, and a father of five. Scott’s been a high school teacher for 26 years, and with the Kern High School District for the last 17 years. Two of his boys, Grant and Harry have been participating in KAFF. He’s been a proud KAFF father for the past seven years.
Scott shoots competitively in three disciplines of rifle and admires the sport of fencing greatly.
He is happy to serve in such a capacity that benefits KAFF and the sport of Fencing
Sumeet was born and raised in Delano and currently serves as the City of Delano’s Recreation Manager. Sumeet has always wanted to learn the art of fencing for many years but finally picked up her first foil in January 2022. Sumeet loves to stay active by participating in a variety of activities such as horseback riding, boot camp, jogging, Pilates and yoga, Zumba, tennis, and now fencing. She recently convinced her husband to join her at the club on Friday nights! Her hope is that her 2-year-old daughter will embrace the sport one day and enjoy it as much as her parents do.
As a KAFF board member, Sumeet hopes to promote the organization, so other people (of all ages) can be introduced to the wonderful world of fencing.