Board of DirectorsALHFAM’s Board of Directors is responsible for managing the organization and for setting its policies and future direction. It includes the president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and immediate past president, each of whom serve for two years, and nine board members. These nine board members are elected in groups of three new board members each year, each of whom serve one three-year term.Regular board meetings are held twice a year: at the annual meeting and again in the late fall at a board member’s site. Board minutes are posted on ALHFAM.org and published in the Bulletin after they are approved by the board. We encourage you to put forward names of individuals including your own name, who would be interested in serving on the Board and who also could make a contribution to the future of ALHFAM. Without a doubt, serving on this board is a stimulating and educational experience where Board members contribute to the growth and direction of an international organization. ALHFAM Board Members at the 2019 Fall Board Meeting
OFFICERS OF THE ALHFAM BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident / Susan Reckseidler (Term Expires 2021) ![]() For the past eleven years, Susan has been part of the senior management team at Heritage Park Historical Village where she oversees a diverse portfolio that includes public and educational programming, historical collections, exhibits, costuming and agriculture. An affinity for all things living history has followed her throughout her career – from her first stint as a costumed interpreter at Doon Heritage Crossroads (where she was first introduced to ALHFAM) to a variety of other positions at museums and historic sites in Ontario and Alberta. Susan served a previous term on the ALHFAM Board from 2010-13, participating the development of the strategic plan, and serving as the communications committee chair. She has also served as the Western Canada Regional Representative, and the Chair for the 2014 Annual Meeting. In her spare time, Susan enjoys exploring Calgary’s cultural attractions, parks and pathways, and quick mountain getaways – usually accompanied by her son Kieran, who will hopefully continue to think that Mom has a pretty cool career. The President is the chair of the Committee on Organizational Partnerships (COOP) Vice-President/ Kathy Dickson (Term Expires 2021)
When not working, Kathy enjoys traveling, playing with her four grandkids, knitting, sewing, reading, camping, fishing, playing with natural dyes, spinning—badly, and spending time with her husband of 40+ years. The Vice-President is the chair of the Committee on Regional Networking (CORN)ALHFAM Past President / Deb Arenz (Term Expires 2021) Deb is the director of the Public Art Lincoln and the ALHFAM webmaster. During her 20+ year museum career, she also served as the executive director of the Mountain-Plains Museums Association, associate director for collections at the Nebraska State Historical Society, curator at the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, director/curator at the Elkhorn Valley Museum, president of the Nebraska Museums Association, and as a board and nominating committee member for ALHFAM. A transplant from Connecticut, Deb now happily lives in the Great Plains with her husband and two kids and enjoys knitting, reading, biking, and eating items from other people’s gardens. Treasurer / Deb Friedman (Term Expires 2022)
ALHFAM Secretary / Lauren McCormack (Term expires 2022) ![]() Lauren is currently the Curator for the Marblehead Museum. Previously positions include Engage Families Project Manager and Manager of Public Programs for the USS Constitution Museum, as well as Assistant Director of Education and Coordinator of Program Development for Old Sturbridge Village. DIRECTORS WITH TERMS EXPIRING IN 2021Linda Evans
Angelina Jack
She has worked for nearly twenty-one years in interpretation and programming at Sherbrooke Village Restoration, a living history museum on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia. She began her employment here as a front-line interpreter, working in a variety of areas including farm programming. She now works in a supervisory role. She has emerit professional certification in both heritage interpretation and tourism supervision and has taken a number of continuing education courses and certificate programs relating to museums and archiving. Her interests lie in Canadian heritage breeds, interpretation, collections, archives, photography, and nature. Lauren Muney
DIRECTORS WITH TERMS EXPIRING IN 2022Katie Cannon
Kay Cynova
Kay has been a member of ALHFAM since 1992 and attended her first Mountain Plains regional conference the following year. Kay served as the MPALHFAM Regional representative from 2005 to 2017, and has assisted with assorted regional conferences through these years. Kay chaired the MPALHFAM regional in 2017. Kay’s spare time activities include period clothing construction, period crafting, a few pet research projects which she hopes to publish in the future, reading and genealogy. Kay is also a contributor to Findagrave and will help others trying to do family research in the Central Nebraska area. Jonathan Kuester
DIRECTORS WITH TERMS EXPIRING IN 2023William Armstrong
Sonrisa Crespin A New Jersey native, Sonrisa’s love of history began at an early age when her grandfather, a historian, would tell her stories of his childhood and take her to museums and historic sites. After earning a B.A. in American History from Alfred University, Sonrisa served as an intern at Howell Living History Farm, where she first considered a career in living history. While working on her M.A. at Western Carolina University, she worked closely with the university museum, the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Easten Band of the Cherokee Indian, and the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual Inc. to explore other aspects of public history and preservation. Her love of living history led her to join ALHFAM as a student and attend her first Southeastern Regional Conference in 2013. There she met her future mentor, the Director of the Trades Department at Old Salem Museum and Gardens. She spent the next two years learning to make 18th and 19th century shoes and leather goods, use a bake oven, and cook at a hearth – before returning to Howell Farm in 2015. There she served as a research intern, before assuming her current role as Education Program Coordinator. An active member of ALHFAM ever since, she served as a Mid Atlantic Regional Co-Representative from 2018–2020, and collaborated on the ALHFAM Skills Training and Preservation (STP) initiative. When not at her desk or walking behind a plow, Sonrisa enjoys spending time with her equine and canine “children” Smokey and Rocky, reading, going to the beach, and cooking with family and friends – with home-grown veggies and the occasional 18th century receipt on the menu. Whenever given the opportunity to travel, her first response is always “Tell me when to be at the airport!” Peter Friesen Peter Friesen received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from New Mexico State University, focusing on History with a minor in Anthropology. He went on to receive his master’s degree in public history in 2006. During his senior year at NMSU Peter decided to focus on a career in living history. He took an internship at Valley Forge National Historic Park, where he interpreted in 3rd person, did black powder demonstrations, helped the archaeologists dig, and manned the visitor center desk. After graduating, Peter decided to attend graduate school and focus on public history. While there he took part in a class called Time Traveling where he learned about first person interpretation. His degree plan included a research paper of journal length and quality and several hours interning at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival assisting the supply coordinator. His research paper titled Hemp, History and Museums, looked at how marijuana laws have affected public perception of hemp and how it is interpreted in living history museums. This led Peter to Colonial Williamsburg where he worked for two years finishing his research and completing a master’s degree. During this time, he started to look for a living history museum that also incorporated agriculture, which is how he came to be at HSMC. After his first year at HSMC, he received the New Professional Travel Award for the National Council of Public History’s annual conference in Louisville, KY where he presented his research on Hemp and Museums. Peter has continued his agricultural research to include tobacco, apples, livestock, and other aspects colonial farming life. Peter also serves on the museum studies steering committee at St. Mary’s College of Maryland as well as teaching museums studies. |