What were they thinking?

In 2003, a group of fans asked Michael Nelson to be the Con Chair of FenCon I. Not the one with the robots on the satellite or the one who hunts in the sea, but the programmer who lives in DFW and never ran or worked on a convention before.

Using his programming skills, attention to detail, ability to fix problems and provide solutions as well as having a good group of team members, he managed to ensure that the first FenCon was a success and did not lose money.

Michael was also the Con Chair of the second FenCon, which was also a success even though dealing with the aftereffects of two hurricanes at the same time as the convention was challenging.

Michael's first foray into fandom was the box of Harvey Comics he received at age 5 from cousins. Like many Gen X fans, The Six Million Dollar Man, the Super Friends, and Star Trek were among the first genre TV shows Michael watched.

A past president of ORAC (a local science fiction group), Michael remembers standing in a long line for The Empire Strikes Back.

Michael and his wife Angela, who is also a fan, enjoy traveling (such as driving to San Diego Comic-Con) and discovering new and fun activities.