Vision
The Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table, a non-profit educational organization, engages throughout the region to develop a deeper, informed understanding of the issues, personalities, and events of the American Civil War era. Our goal is to learn, understand, and communicate the history of the American Civil War.
Values
We study and strive to stimulate interest in the American Civil War to better promote and understand this seminal event in American history.
The preservation of Civil War battlefields and structures is a pre-eminent consideration of our operations. We give priority to regional needs but are willing to contribute nationwide as needs warrant.
We are a non-partisan organization. Whatever our emotional allegiance to the particular side of an issue or topic, our activities and publications carefully examine the documents, the sites, and other sources in order to understand and present a well-rounded synopsis concerning the facts about any event, person, and locale.
We seek to create, strengthen, and expand a network of neighboring Round Tables and other, history-based area organizations with whom we can cooperate and synergize our efforts in order to accomplish more than if we worked individually (i.e., believing in that old adage of the total being greater than the sum of the parts).
We strive to expand our membership, both in total numbers and demographic diversity.
We seek to educate those in the broader Tennessee Valley area about the American Civil War. We do this through our monthly meetings (i.e., presentations), field trips, seminars, publications, public relations, and community outreach and events.
Our Board of Directors
Pictured left to right; front row: Michael Acosta – Treasurer, Art Helms – former Vice-President, Cheryl McAuley – President, Jason Bruening – Technology, Kevin Rodriguez – Membership; back row: Bob Hennessee – Secretary, John McAuley – Preservation & Field Trip Coordinator, Arley McCormick – former Newsletter Editor, Alan Ruzicka – Programs; not pictured: Bob Boyer – Public Relations and Jeff Ewing – Little Round Table Chair
Cheryl McAuley, President
Dr. Cheryl McAuley became a member of the TVCWRT in July 2008 and served as VP from 2010-2012. She is a Maryland native and worked for the Dept of Defense for 25 years before moving to Huntsville in 2005. In 1980, she enlisted in the MD Army National Guard and retired from the Army Reserves after 30 years. LTC (Ret) McAuley deployed to the Horn of Africa in 2004 and Baghdad Iraq in 2010. Cheryl holds degrees from West Chester University (Piano Performance), George Mason University (MPA), U.S. Army War College (Master Strategic Studies), and a Doctorate of Management and Organizational Leadership from University of Phoenix. She developed a briefing about Thaddeus Lowe and his work as an aeronaut during the Civil War and has shared her findings with local groups, including TVCWRT. She is scheduled to brief other Roundtables and organizations in 2025.
She and John were married in 1985 and they enjoy their rescue beagle, Wenzy (Swahili for “Companion”). They’ve sponsored Compassion International children since 2008. The McAuleys climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2017 after meeting their first Compassion International child, Beatrice, in Tanzania, Africa. Cheryl wrote a book about their adventure, “Asante Sana (Thank You Very Much) Life Lessons from Kili” which is on Amazon. Royalties go to Compassion International for clean water in Africa. She’s honored to serve as President of one of the best Civil War Round Tables in the U.S.!
Contact: cheryl_john@bellsouth.net
Richard Caniglia, Vice-President
Rick Caniglia brings a wealth of leadership experience and historical insight to the TVCWRT. A native of Sacramento, California, and Omaha, Nebraska, Rick is a proud Nebraska Cornhusker fan whose interest in Civil War history began in high school after reading Bruce Catton’s Centennial History of the Civil War. After earning a degree in Business Administration, Rick embarked on a distinguished 25-year career in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Following his Army career, Rick spent two decades with the Missile Defense Agency—ten years as a defense contractor and another ten as a senior civil servant, culminating in service as a GS-15. Now retired, he has led a major staff ride of the Battle of Franklin and is slated to conduct a two-day staff ride at Chickamauga. Rick first joined the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table on its 2024 Chickamauga Field Trip. He and his wife, Terri, are active community volunteers who enjoy giving back and engaging with others who share their historical interests.
Contact: rrcaniglia@aol.com
Michael Acosta, Treasurer
Michael Acosta is originally from South Texas. He is a retired US Marine Corps Officer & Aviator who moved to Huntsville in the summer of 2017 to work at Redstone Arsenal. A 1998 graduate of the US Naval Academy, he holds a BS in History from there, as well as an MBA and an MS in Management from the University of Maryland. He has been married to the former Janet Murphy of Salisbury, MD, for over 26 years and has three kids. An avid Revolutionary War and Civil War buff, he thoroughly enjoys dragging his family to various battlefield and historical sites around the country. A member of the Tennessee Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, Michael also volunteers with his kids’ Scouting units and is the Committee Chairman for the largest Boy Scout Troop in Madison County, Troop 343.
Contact: tvcwrttreasurer@gmail.com
Robert Hennessee, Secretary
Robert Hennessee became interested in the Civil War when his family moved to the Richmond, VA area when he was six. They visited local battlefields and the Confederate White House. Later, they moved to Maryland and visited the Antietam and Gettysburg battlefields. As an adult, Bob lived in Charleston, SC where he visited Ft. Sumter. Later, he moved to Washington, DC area where he visited Bull Run, Chancellorsville and other Civil War sites. During that time, he joined the Stuart-Mosby Society. He is particularly knowledgeable about Stonewall Jackson, Mosby and Stuart. Bob joined the TVCWRT in 2014. He recently retired from the Army Corps of Engineers and operates an energy consulting business, Hennessee Associates.
Contact: rhhennessee3@att.net
Alan Ruzicka, Programs Officer
Alan Ruzicka is originally from Cedar Rapids, IA. He moved his family to Huntsville, AL, in 2006 and joined the TVCWRT one year later. Alan served in the U.S. Army over 44 years with 26 of those being active duty and 18 of them in civil service. He became a Qualified Army Aviator in 1982 and has been blessed with the opportunity to see the world from 500 feet. Alan has enjoyed exploring history at every assignment/deployment: Germany, Bosnia, Thailand, Hawaii, Korea, Alaska, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, British Honduras, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Fort Campbell, KY, Fort Rucker, AL, Fort Carson, CO, Fort Hood, TX, Fort Eustis, VA, Fort Irwin, CA, Fort Polk, LA. For the past 41 years, Alan has been married to Colonel (Retired) Diana Ruzicka. The Ruzickas have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.
Contact: ruzickaalan@aol.com
Kevin Rodriguez, Membership Officer
Kevin Rodriguez was born at Scott Air Force Base, IL and by age 12 had already spent half his life in Germany. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and a Master’s Degree in Logistics. He has been a civil servant with the Department of Defense since 1986, having first worked with the Air Force’s Defense Mapping Agency in St. Louis, MO before going to work for the Army. He and his family moved to Madison, AL to work at Redstone Arsenal in 1997 when the Base Realignment and Closure Act closed the Army Troop Support Command in St. Louis, MO. For the last three years he has led the Sustainment Logistics office for the PATRIOT missile system. Prior to that he held the same position for five years at the Apache Attack Helicopter office. He enjoys taking ranger led battlefield hikes and went on over 10 anniversary events at various National Military Parks during the 150thanniversary of the Civil War, starting with Shiloh and ending with Appomattox. He has been a member of the TVCWRT since 2010 and is currently serving as the TVCWRT Membership Chairman.
Contact: siue1986@gmail.com
John McAuley, Preservation & Field Trip Coordinator
John McAuley retired from the Army as a CW5 in 2007. He served with the 902nd Military Intelligence Group, as an Army Special Forces medic, and a Physicians Assistant with the National Guard Bureau. John married Cheryl in 1985. John was born in Washington, D.C. He graduated from George Washington University and earned a Master of Public Administration from Troy University. He’s been a member of the TVCWRT since 2008. John enjoys traveling, bicycling and golf.
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Contact: cheryl_john@bellsouth.net
Bob Boyer – Public Relations
Bob has been interested in the Civil War since exploring battlefields with his father as a child. Bob has spent his career in broadcasting from starting as a radio DJ to decades as a sports and news director for local and network television. Currently Bob is operations manager for Elk River Media radio in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Bob has been a professional Santa Claus for almost 20 years. Bob is a tour guide on the Twickenham tour for the Huntsville Ghost Walk. Bob has been married to his wife Ramona for 37 years and has two daughters Sara and Kara.
Contact: huntsvillesanta@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor – Currently Vacant
Jason Bruening, Technology
Jason Bruening grew up in Springfield, MO, just a few miles from Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. As a teenager, his family moved to Galesburg, IL, site of one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. He moved to Huntsville in 2001 when he married his wonderful wife, Nicole. They have two daughters whom Jason has “dragged along” to multiple battlefields during their childhood. His daughters have earned more NPS Junior Ranger Badges on those tours than they care to count. Jason worked in radio and television for almost 30 years and is currently employed by the business office of Huntsville Hospital. He has been a member of the Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table since 2023. You can see Jason each year as he participates in the Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll where he portrays Thomas Bibb, the second governor of Alabama. Jason’s younger brother, Jared, is a history teacher and the host of a phenomenal YouTube channel, The Daily Bellringer, which creates short history videos designed to be used in the class room.
Contact: brueningj@bellsouth.net
Jeff Ewing, Little Round Table Chair
Jeff Ewing has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and an MBA from UC-Berkeley. He was a Radio Communications Analysis Specialist during his four years of active duty in the United States Air Force and then a Civil-Military Operations Officer during his six active years in the U.S. Army Reserve. After a career as a hearing officer with the National Labor Relations Board and a compensation consultant with the accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand, Jeff returned to school to study video production and graphic design. He opened his own video production company in north Alabama and until his retirement produced independent documentaries and internet commercials. He is a ten-plus year attendee at Gettysburg College’s Civil War Institute’s annual summer conference. He has been a member of the TVCWRT since 2006 and the discussion leader of the Little Round Table since 2016.
Contact: jeffrey.ewing1@gmail.com
Bernard Biederman, Little Round Table Liaison
Bernard Biederman is a retired dentist. He practiced both in Kentucky and Ohio for 39 years. He served as a city commissioner and as mayor of a small Northeastern Kentucky town during that time. He has been a Civil War reenactor for 22 years, and presently does both Living History and school programs. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1981. In 2021, he moved to Arab, AL with his wife Terresa, who grew up in Arab. Bernie has led Little Round Table meetings in the past (most notably, a session on how William Tecumseh Sherman used data from the 1860 census to plan the March to the Sea) and in 2026 will be heading up our two-month study on the Battle of Perryville. He has humorously observed that our regular monthly meetings and our LRT meetings are like Sunday mornings at church: the monthly meetings being the big worship service with the sermon, while the Little Round Tables are more like Sunday School.
Contact: bernardbiederman@gmail.com
Dave Benjamin, Wargaming Chairman
Dave Benjamin and his wife, Marci, settled in Huntsville in 2022 to be closer to their grandchildren, two of whom attend Auburn University. After 28 years of Army assignments that took them across the country and abroad, the Benjamins have found Huntsville’s welcoming community, pleasant climate, and rich cultural scene an ideal place to call home. Originally from Chicago, David met Marci while both were students at Loyola University in Chicago—she earned a B.S. in Nursing, and his studies focused on History. Following his active-duty service, Dave continued to share his passion for history as an Army War College facilitator from 1993 to 1996, helping officers hone their understanding of military conflicts and strategic decision-making. A lifelong enthusiast of military history, David developed an interest in wargaming as a natural extension of his studies and teaching. He views gaming as an engaging tool for developing tactical thinking, problem-solving strategies, and critical analysis—skills essential to both military leadership and lifelong learning. Active and engaged in their new community, Dave and Marci joined the Roundtable, drawn by its vibrant exchange of ideas and shared knowledge. They look forward to many years of participation and friendship among fellow members.
Contact: dave.benjamin@comcast.net
Advisers
John Scales, Former President
Ed Kennedy, Former President
John H. Allen, Former President
Kent Wright, Former Programs Officer
Mark Hubbs, Former Preservation Officer and co-founder
April Harris, Former President
Bill Goss, Former President
