Robert Beltran

Fans of the TV series Star Trek Voyager can look forward to FedCon 25 because Robert Beltran, known as Commander Chakotay, will join his crewmember Ethan Phillips in Bonn from May 13th – 16th.

Commander Chakotay is the first officer and close confidant of Captain Janeway. Before joining the crew of the Voyager as first officer, he flew his own Marquis ship which got lost in the Delta Quadrant like the Voyager did when they first met. He had resigned from Starfleet in order to join the Maquis, a group of rebels, to fight against the Cardassians.

Just like the Voyager the Marquis ship stranded. Both crew members needed to collaborate in order to find a way back to the Alpha Quadrant which was 70,000 light years across the galaxy. This is the beginning of Chakotey's new position as first officer on the spaceship Voyager.

Robert Adame Beltran was born November 19th, 1953 in Bakersfield, California, USA. He graduated from California State University, Fresno with a degree in Theatre Arts. He has been working steadily since 1979 in both theatre and film. Beltran had his first film role in Zoot Suit in 1981. He is best known for his role as Commander Chakotay, first officer of the starship Voyager. He has remained true to his work at the theatre. Therefore he founded and served as co-artistic director of the East L.A. Classic Theater Group. In 2014 he and Josefina López directed the Shakespeare theatre play Julius Caesar at CASA 0101 Theater.

One of Beltran's siblings was born with Down Syndrome and for four years between 1998–2001, Beltran hosted the Galaxy Ball, a fund raising event for the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA). The Galaxy Ball brought together actors from other Star Trek series for a small convention during which there was a cabaret and a dinner dance. In 2001, it was reported in USA Today that the Galaxy Ball raised more than US$50,000 for the DSALA, as well as other charities.