Steve Bittner

Steve Bittner

Bittner has an enormous passion for international students and is an active member of Santiam Christian School. Additionally, he enjoys driving his old VW van around and spending time outdoors with his family.

On March 30, 1982, Bittner arrived at Janice Palmer’s house in Huron after having consumed alcohol for 11 hours straight and asked her to drive him home. When Palmer refused, Bittner asked Janice Palmer’s roommate in nearby Weston Heights who happened to be home, to bring home another taxi for him instead.

Early Life and Education

Once he graduated from Greenville High School in 1962, Bittner worked with his father on their family farm raising pigs and cattle while also working on the railroad for some time.

He began drumming as an early teenager, banging on pots and pans and garbage cans. By age ten he took formal drum lessons. While attending Berklee College of Music for one year.

In 2007, Bittner started writing monthly drum columns for UK publication RHYTHM as well as publishing his book entitled, “Drumming Out of the Shadows.” Hudson Music then released an instructional DVD featuring him; additionally he was invited as a clinician at 2007 Drum Fantasy Camp and won both Modern Drummer’s Rising Drumming Star poll and Modern Drummer’s Metal drummer poll awards.

Professional Career

Professional home inspector and engineer in New Jersey. Retired United States Air Force Civil Engineering Officer; holds Masters degree from Embry-Riddle University.

Bittner Property Inspections LLC was formed by him and specializes in conducting both residential and commercial inspections throughout New Jersey.

Once Stigmata disbanded in 2001, Bittner joined thrash metal band Shadows Fall as a permanent member. Their debut album “The War Within,” released September 2004, garnered him the number one up and coming drummer award from Modern Drummer magazine’s reader poll and first place Recorded Performance and Metal Drummer awards from DRUM! magazine’s 2005 readers’ poll.

He spent his off-seasons coaching as an associate coach with Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Additionally, he possesses coaching experience at professional, collegiate and junior levels as well as international competition with Team USA.

Achievement and Honors

Steve Bittner has long been recognized for his professional achievements as well as his longstanding dedication to community and civic endeavors. He currently sits on the board of directors for Foodshare Connecticut and as member of its finance committee; additionally he has testified on behalf of hospital industry at state public hearings.

He earned both Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten selection… Started eight of 17 games played, scoring two shots against Montana during Big Ten Championship game… Averaged 18.1 minutes per game…

Dr. Bittner established this scholarship in honor of his parents, who valued education and self-discipline highly. It’s designed to support students who demonstrate these attributes.

Personal Life

Bittner is an accomplished author with several publications under his belt, such as Whites and Reds: A History of Wine in the Lands of Tsar and Commissar (Oxford 2021) and The Many Lives of Khrushchev’s Thaw (Cornell 2008). Additionally, he holds distinguished professorship at Lafayette College in Easton Pennsylvania as well as fellowship status at Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies located in Washington D.C.

Bittner has not only worked with Shadows Fall but has also performed with bands such as Overkill and Flotsam and Jetsam on tour, filling in for Charlie Benante of Anthrax for several shows and becoming an endorser for Zildjian since 2011. In 2008 he won Modern Drummer/DRUM! Magazine reader’s poll as best metal drummer and has written an instructional book.

Net Worth

Bittner has worked as a news reporter across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Washington D.C. Her work has been showcased on national news programs like The Rachel Maddow Show. Additionally, she is two-time winner of both Edward R. Murrow and Emmy Awards.

She currently serves as Washington DC bureau chief for Gray Television and covers major national stories like COVID-19 pandemic coverage, vaccination rollout issues, local police departments, and social justice movements.

Bittner also enjoys cooking, music, dogs, working on his Texas property and playing golf – and his mustache plays an integral part of his personality, often being joked about by media when speaking. Furthermore, Bittner is well known by the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL as being their fan favorite player.

Steve Bittner
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