Dave Verbrugge

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Dave Verbrugge won the Woodie Flowers Award at the 2002 FIRST Championships in Orlando, Florida.   Dave is the lead mentor on FRC team 67, the HOT team from Huron Valley Schools in Michigan.

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Dave is a distinguished engineer, working at the General Motors proving grounds in Milford, Michigan.  Dave’s engineering efforts make GM’s cars drive more efficiently and achieve higher gas mileages.  Dave has engineering degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,  Calvin College, the University of Michigan and Purdue University.

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Dave’s FIRST experience began in 1997 as a mentor on the HOT team, and he has been their steady yet dynamic leader ever since.  Dave is often seen at Regional events as the master of ceremonies on the field, introducing the teams and presenting the awards.  Also, Dave serves in this same role at the FIRST Championships each year, finishing off the event as the m/c on the field for the final matches on Einstein.  Dave’s flair for presenting the teams, highlighting their successes and past accomplishments is impressive.

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The HOT team is another powerhouse team within the FIRST Robotics Competition.  Under Dave’s leadership, this team has won the Championship Chairman’s Award, along with winning the FIRST Championships three times, in 2005, 2009, and 2010.