Northern California's Director/STAR Team/ERT Team, Dev Rugne

Ruben Jose Uriarte graduated from Cal State University at Hayward with a B.A. degree in Psychology and Latin American Studies and has taken M.A. courses in Public Administration. He has been a member of MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) as a Field Investigator, State Director for Northern California, and Deputy Director of Investigations/International Affairs. Ruben Uriarte has been involved with a large network of research organizations. He had served as a state coordinator for Crop Circle Phenomena Research International. He was also a former research director for Beyond Boundaries, a company specializing in taking tour groups to various UFO "hotspots" around the world. He also serves as a board member for OPUS(Organization for Paranormal and Support Understanding). Ruben has been interviewed on many local and national radio shows and television documentaries on the subject of the UFO Phenomenon, such as the Discovery Channel's "UFOs Over Earth", The Learning Channel, and the History Channel's "UFO FILES", "UFO HUNTERS" and "ANCIENT ALIENS". Ruben has been co-authoring a series of books with Noe Torres about major UFO crashes that have occurred along the border of the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and other historical cases. Their books include, “Mexico's Roswell - The Chihuahua UFO Crash”, “The Other Roswell – UFO Crash on the Texas-Mexico Border” and their recent book, "Aliens in the Forest - The Cisco Grove UFO Encounter". Please see their website: RoswellBooks.com You can contact Ruben at ruben_uriarte@hotmail.com

Assistant Director, Ruben Uriarte

Dev has over 45 years of UFO research and independent investigative experience. She became interested in UFOs at an early age and has had many UFO sightings. Her main interest has been the abduction phenomenon with a high interest in actual crafts being seen. In 1977, after talking with Betty Hill, she pursued her quest to become a UFO investigator and researcher. Dev joined MUFON in the mid 80’s, attending the Northern California meetings. After a hiatus with MUFON (but still independently researching and investigating UFOs), she concentrated on her career until she moved to Oregon in 2007. In January of 2008, she rejoined MUFON and became the Oregon MUFON Chief Investigator. In April of 2009, MUFON International launched the Star Impact Project (SIP), Dev was hired to conduct SIP investigations for Oregon MUFON. She was also hired for the SIP Dispatch Operator position, monitoring MUFON’s database for incoming sighting reports that met the criteria for rapid deployment. Moving back to Northern California in early 2010, she became a Section State Director for seven counties, then became the Chief Investigator later that year. Dev then became the Assistant State Director, a title she held for over ten years. She has spoken at several chapter meetings and conferences on completed cases. Dev has also been on a few UFO related radio shows, podcasts and a couple of TV shows. She trains the new field investigators, after they finish their required online MUFON classes. In 2021, she released her book on field investigations.

Chief Investigator, Jerry Gerow

Jerry was born in California, grew up in Ohio, then back to California for the last 20 years. He came from a Pilot family, they all flew. He says, "Maybe this is one of the driving forces behind my passionate interest in all things flying." His background includes stints in The Army Reserve as an Officer, Hughes ARCRFT, Sheriff’s Deputy, Construction Company General Manager, and multiple UPS Store owners. He has never had a sighting but has discussed sightings with other pilots including one who flew an SR71 Blackbird. The pilot said that the SR71 was no match for what he had encountered. Jerry has been attending UFO meetings in the Sacramento Area for 12 years. He has always been interested in UFOs and who or what is flying them. He has never questioned their existence, he just always seemed to believe. One and a half years ago Jerry ran into a persistent MUFON Investigator who convinced him to sign up and start investigating. After over 100 cases investigated, Jerry is officially convinced of their existence. And, as an ex-military man and Police Officer, that is quite a statement. He now finds himself excited about the next case assignment. An exciting thrust into the unknown!

Field Investigator/ERT Team, Valerie Benko

Valerie Benko is originally from Laramie WY but moved to Rocklin CA in 1998, where she resides today. Valerie is a Support Group Leader for the Alpha-1 Foundation. Valerie decided to become a field investigator for MUFON because, on July 20, 2015, her son, Grandson, and herself witnessed a star-like object (orb) flashing colors in the distant sky, which seemed to be out of place. Valerie suggested they should walk out to the main street in order to get a better view. Valerie’s grandson spotted a very bright light in the sky separate from the orb. In the blink of an eye, a triangular-shaped craft with 3 bright white lights and a red one in the middle, was hovering over them. Not only was this craft gigantic, but it was also completely silent. When they looked away from it, the craft disappeared in a blink of an eye. Valerie has never seen anything like it before, and being a skeptic she wanted to learn more. So she is on a mission to search for the truth, whatever it might be, she keeps an open mind and is always open to learning new things. She joined MUFON to learn more about the UFO phenomenon, as well as educate herself on what is possible in this giant universe.

Field Investigator, Hady Felfly

Since Hady was a child, he was always attracted to outer space, the unexplained, and the metaphysical. He has a lot of interest in ancient civilizations and considers that a major portion of our ancient history is still unknown to us. My curiosity made me realize that a vast universe must have a lot of exciting new things to discover, learn, and interact with. His interest in Astronomy and Astrobiology grew into an interest in UFOs.Some of his major interests include research about the forces of nature and energy fields, ancient structures and pyramids including underwater structures, crop circles, dreams, astral travel, telepathy, telekinesis, the afterlife, and others. Working as a Field Investigator has given him this opportunity to interact in real-time with various events which allows him to contribute to providing some answers to interesting topics. He can be reached at hfmufon@gmail.com

Field Investigator, Bob Pullen

Bob was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. After High School he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served a total of 24 years in the Navy, 3 years on Active Duty, and another 21 years in the Naval Reserve. He worked in Communications and held a Top Secret "Crypto" clearance for all 24 years of service. Simultaneously, he began his career at the "Phone Company". He held many different positions with Nevada Bell, Pacific Bell, SBC, and eventually AT&T. He retired from AT&T in 2021 with almost 38 years of service. Bobs' interest in UFO's goes back to his childhood, but not due to any particular sighting or incident. In fact, to his knowledge, he has never actually seen a UFO. His ongoing interest in "All Things UFO" prompted him to join MUFON. It seemed like a natural progression to become a Field Investigator. His other interests include HAM Radio, Music (guitar, bass, drums), and Martial Arts.

Field Investigator, Dan Pickett

Dan grew up in northern California and re-established roots here after retiring from the U.S. Air Force. He earned a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Science and is currently working on his MBA. Dan holds various certifications, including UAV pilot and amateur radio operator (KO6SIN). During his military career, he worked in various areas, including metals technology, aircraft maintenance, space command operations, and for various intelligence agencies. Dan’s current job supports the classified flight operations of the U-2 Dragon Lady. Dan has been interested in UFOs, unexplained phenomena, and paranormal mysteries for as long as he can remember. He joined MUFON as an investigator in 2024 to learn more about these topics and connect with others who share these interests. Dan can be reached via email at: daninblack@inorbit.com

Field Investigator, Linda Cheechov-Brazelton

Linda has always looked at life as a puzzle. That’s probably why she likes accounting and taxes. It’s about processing all the pieces to see how they fit. Linda has seen and experienced a lot of different things in her life and was told not to tell anyone because people will think you are nuts. At times, she had to question herself if they were real and then accept the fact they were. Joining MUFON was one of the pieces to the puzzle. She says, “I think a lot of us question ourselves wondering if certain things are true or not. It is like finding those pieces that fit to see the whole picture. You can believe in your heart that something is real but until you have proof, no one is going to believe you. But the only one you really need to convince that something is true is you!”

Field Investigator, Joe Burgard

Joe Burgard brings a diverse and accomplished background to MUFON, combining over three decades of maritime expertise with a deep commitment to scientific inquiry. A licensed maritime captain and business owner, Joe has over 30 years of hands-on experience in commercial vessel operations. He is also a pioneer in sustainable maritime technologies, having co-founded a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion company and served as an early implementer of large-scale electric hybrid systems in the industry. Before his maritime ventures, Joe worked in education, where he cultivated a strong foundation in critical thinking and research—skills he now applies to his work in the field of UFO investigation. His involvement with MUFON stems from a lifelong fascination with unexplained aerial phenomena, particularly the testimonies of witnesses and contactees, and the profound implications these experiences have for science and human consciousness. Joe approaches every case with an open mind and a methodical, evidence-based approach, driven by a belief in the transformative potential of the technologies and encounters reported. His unique blend of technical knowledge, investigative rigor, and philosophical curiosity makes him a valuable asset to the MUFON investigative team.