Thomas K. Powell

Education/Work

• Graduated from Castro Valley High School, 1961
• Graduated from San Jose State University, BS Mechanical Engineering, 1966
• Worked for General Electric Company in the nuclear reactor industry for 10 years. 
• Then went to work for Hewlett Packard Company as a Process Engineer in Inkjet Printer Pen manufacturing in Corvallis, Oregon. 
• Retired from Hewlett Packard after 30 years of service.
• 2009 Received Intermediate Archery Instructor Certificate from the NFAA.
• 2010 & 2011 Oregon State 3D Champion, Masters Senior.

Family/Geography/Hobbies

• Happily married to Missy Powell for 10 years.  We have a son serving in the US Army and stationed in Germany.  He has had 1 tour in Afghanistan and 3 tours in Iraq.  I also have a daughter living in Hawaii with a wonderful teenage granddaughter. 
• After retiring from Hewlett Packard, we moved to Bend Oregon, our home away from home, as a gateway to the outdoors, clean air and multitude of activities.
• We have plans to move to Hawaii in the future into our property we own there and currently rent out as a vacation rental.  This is a cottage on 8 beautiful acres in Wood Valley on the Big Island.  See www.bigislandcottage.com for more information.
• My main hobby as I was busy working at Hewlett Packard was hunting with archery equipment.  Although the success was never equal to rifle hunting, I loved the challenge of hunting with a bow.   I respect the animals I hunt and when I am lucky enough to make a harvest, I thank the Lord for the opportunity and make sure all is put to good use for food and warmth.     

Archery/Hunting/Author/Competition

• My first archery experience was with a long bow my Father got for me when I was in grade school.  I used to hunt jackrabbits with that bow in the field across the street from where we lived, and became quite proficient at making that long bow perform.    
• As a trained mechanical engineer, the compound bow experience was a natural transition.  The experience grew and grew to the level it is today with me being quite knowledgeable about compound bows and their technical working characteristics.  I pride myself as a bow technician supreme and use my technical engineering training to enhance my hands on repair and servicing.  I am quite knowledgeable about tuning a compound bow to shoot an arrow perfectly and consistently.
• As time has passed, I have been able to write some stories and articles in various journals and magazines about hunting with a compound bow.  These articles have appeared in Eastman’s Bowhunting Journal, The Oregon Bow Hunters quarterly magazine, and the Pope and Young Club quarterly journal.
• I also found my natural ability to teach easily applied to archery.  I became a certified Bowhunting Education Instructor for the State of Oregon, and typically teach at least two classes each year to archery inclined students.  The graduating students receive an Oregon bowhunter education certification card that is useful in getting bow hunting licenses in other states. 
• As one thing led to another, I began to compete in local 3D archery competition and have done reasonably well.  I won 1st place in the IBO Oregon State Championships Seniors Division in 2006, 1st place in the Kingsley Bowman Indoor 3D shoot Seniors Division in 2009, and recently got 5th place in the 2009 Bend Bowmen Super Shoot Seniors Division.  I enjoy the 3D competition and use it as a scale to test how my shooting is doing compared to others.