PHMC Volunteers of the Year for 2020-21 Part 3

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The Pennsbury Society
James Pagliaro
Since becoming a volunteer in 2016, Jim has become an integral part of the Pennsbury Manor family. Starting as a school tour and walk-in guide, Jim continues to delight visitors with his knowledge of the 17th century and William Penn’s legacies. In 2019, Jim was asked to join the Board of Directors for the Pennsbury Society and to spearhead a new fundraising committee. As the 2020 pandemic set in, Jim and his fellow committee members sprang into action. To help offset lost school tour income, Jim proposed a fund-matching campaign for education. He and his wife, Susan, would match every dollar raised, up to $17,500. We reached that goal, in part due to Jim’s tireless effort in soliciting donations, and ultimately surpassed it by $10,000. In the Spring of 2021, Jim set up a fundraising campaign for the restoration of Pennsbury’s Upper Court. This campaign helped provide the funds needed to redesign the garden beds and build new benches for the courtyard. Last summer, Jim became the voice of the site’s new cellphone tour, and he has agreed to expand the recordings as necessary. Jim also led the search for a new development and marketing professional. He still loves to come in and give tours to the public, committing many of his Fridays to taking eager guests around the property. Without Jim Pagliaro, Pennsbury Manor would be a very different site. We look forward to many more years working with Jim to help promote and grow Pennsbury Manor.

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates
Dr. Michael Callahan
Mike is a retired physician who joined the Board of Directors in 2018. Over the last three years, he has become an invaluable asset to the museum team by lending a helping hand and providing historic expertise on a variety of projects. Mike had previously researched and written an article on the lumbering ghost town of Corbett for the Potter County Historical Society, and the museum was able to tap his knowledge and his collection of historic photographs to create an interpretive panel about this former community. As an avid hiker and cross-country skier, Mike helped museum staff develop “Hiking to History,” an off-site educational and recreational program. He also provides cross-country ski instruction to novice museum visitors during the annual “Winter in the Lumber Camp” event. Dr. Callahan’s most substantial contribution to the museum is a multi-year effort to scan images from the museum’s historic photograph archive. To date he has scanned over 1,500 images and completed an attribute database entry for each photo. His concern for the health of the children in our community prompted him to purchase and donate a variety of wooden toys to be given out at the museum’s Halloween event instead of candy. Mike is also an active member of the Galeton Rotary and serves as a liaison between the Rotary and the museum, facilitating collaboration and cross-promotion of the annual Cherry Springs Woodsman Show event. We thank him for his dedication and commitment to the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.

Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum
Victor Campbell
Victor Campbell is an exemplary volunteer, committing countless hours of service to the Pennsylvania Military Museum. In addition to assisting with special events, Campbell is also a dedicated Museum Docent leading school and public programs, as well as programs for baccalaureate and post baccalaureate scholars. His continued presence at the Museum over the years has allowed for visitors to make meaningful connections to the history of the Commonwealth, and the furtherance of the Site and Agency mission. When not in the public side of the facility, Mr. Campbell lends his time to administrative/professional needs of the Museum’s business operation. His commitment to the site is without parallel, and he has become a critical member of the team. We are grateful for his many contributions and his ongoing support.

Friends of the Railroad Museum
James Cleveland
Jim joined the Railroad Museum volunteers in May of 2012 and quickly established himself as someone willing to help with many different projects and roles at the Museum. In the Library and Archives, Jim has been a great help working on data cleanup of the Baldwin and Budd negatives collections, as well as assisting with the Don Wood collection. In addition to his weekly work behind the scenes, Jim is a perennial volunteer on Charter Day, serves as an ambassador during the Garden Railway Tours, helps with entrance ticketing during the “Rails & Ales” fundraiser each spring, and assists with our “Home for the Holidays” and “Christmas with the Conductor” parties in December. His willingness to work in a variety of roles is greatly appreciated by both staff and visitors. Jim frequently attends additional volunteer enrichment sessions and lectures, learning more about the Museum’s collection and enhancing his railroad knowledge. Jim’s dedication and consistency are admired and appreciated, and we thank him for his continued service to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Historical and Genealogical Society of Somerset County
Jeffrey Shaffer and Michael Rhoades
Jeffrey and Michael are Information Technology Specialists who have contributed significantly to the site by consulting, designing, acquiring equipment, and installing a Wi-Fi system. Their contribution allowed the Historical Center and Society to offer Wi-Fi for staff and visitors to meet library, programming, and business needs. Their company, North American Hoganas, gives employees paid time off to volunteer at an organization of their choice. They both chose the Society/Center to spend their paid, and a significant number of unpaid, volunteer hours to provide the site with an extremely high-tech Wi-Fi system. They negotiated with their company to provide over $5,000 worth of equipment, assisted with a grant that the Society received for additional equipment, and installed Wi-Fi throughout the Visitor’s Center. They provided service to several wireless points around the grounds, including the Haupt Educational Center, several hundred yards from the Visitor’s Center. The installation and equipment would probably have cost over $40,000 without their assistance. Jeffrey and Michael also assisted the Society, through a program with the Somerset County Library, to install equipment that allows members of the public to access the internet via the main parking lot area. This was part of a nationwide initiative to assist rural communities with internet connections during the Covid shutdown. Michael and Jeffrey continue to keep the system updated and help with problems that might arise. Their contributions have been invaluable for advancing the mission of the site.