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Board of Directors


President

Carla Smith

Carla Smith is a lifelong resident of Newfoundland and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2011, where she served as Vice President and currently serves as President. Carla is Chair of the Fundraising Committee and assists with the Property Inventory Project, an ongoing effort to document the area’s historic homes and churches. She conducts genealogy workshops, gives talks on local history, and writes articles for the Society’s newsletter, Echoes from the Greene Hills. She is the Society’s liaison with the Greene-Dreher Alumni Association, founded in 1915, where she is the recording secretary and past president. 

“I am a fifth generation resident of Greene Township, but my interest in genealogy and local history really peaked when I moved back into my childhood home. As a GDHS Board member I am able to help preserve this history for future generations of all families.”  —Carla Smith

Vice-President

Ruth Altemier

Ruth Altemier resides in Greentown and has served on the Board of Directors since 2005, where she served as President and currently serves as Vice President. As Chair of the Genealogy & Cemeteries Committee, she oversees the Adopt-A-Cemetery Program, conducts genealogy workshops, and coordinates annual fundraising events for the Cemetery Preservation Fund. She manages the Property Inventory Project, an ongoing effort to document the area’s historic homes and churches. As a member of the Programs & Membership Committee, she coordinates special events, such as local history tours. She is the author of a book on local cemeteries and has written articles on early settlers for the Society’s newsletter, Echoes from the Greene Hills.

“I believe in the saying ‘You won’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you came from.’ I find genealogy fascinating. It has led me to the preservation of the cemeteries, to honor those who led the way to where we are today. The world moves so fast that it is easy to not look around and appreciate our world. I feel the work that our GDHS members do is preserving the past for the future.” — Ruth Altemier

Secretary

Linda Kramer

Linda Kramer lives in Greentown and has served on the Board of Directors since 2014, holding the position of Recording Secretary since that time. As co-chair of the Refreshment Committee, Linda is responsible for planning and organizing the food and beverages served at programs and events. She assists with the Property Inventory Project, an ongoing effort to document the area’s historic homes and churches. She and her husband, Ed Kramer, participate in the Society’s Adopt-a-Cemetery Program and are responsible for the ongoing care, maintenance and preservation of historic Kipptown Cemetery. Linda transcribes interviews and oral histories for publication.

“I enjoy volunteering and working with other individuals who have the same love of local history.  — Linda Kramer

Treasurer

Christine Piazzi

Christine Piazzi is a life-long resident of Greentown, now living in her grandpar­ents’ house. She joined GDHS because of her love of history and serves as Treasurer for the organization, stating “The next generation needs to step up.” Christine worked at Holley Ross for 33 years before recently accepting the position as Executive Director of the Dorflinger Wildlife Sanctu­ary in White Mills. She also serves on the board of the New­foundland Area Public Library and as secretary of the Wayne Library Alliance. Christine enjoys travel and has started her own busi­ness marketing herbal medicinal tea blends, which she grows herself or harvests locally.

Directors

Susan Arzamendi

Susan Arzamendi was born and raised in Newfoundland. Although college, marriage, and career took her to various Pennsylvania locations and to Vermont for 13 year, she loved returning home to visit her parents and read her mom’s copy of the GDHS publication, The Greene Hills of Home. Upon retiring seven years ago, Susan and her husband moved back to the area and found a further connection with home through GDHS. Susan serves as Chair of the Membership Committee and brings to that position her skills in marketing, public relations, and office management. She also serves as President of Greene-Dreher Alumni Associa­tion and Scholarship Fund.

Ellen Drake

Ellen Drake resides in Newfoundland and has served on the Board of Directors since 2012. She is Chair of the Public Relations Committee. As the Society’s liaison with public media, she coordinates the publicity for all of our activities and events and manages our Facebook page. Ellen is the coordinator for children’s programs, such as field trips to the museum for third and fourth grade students at Wallenpaupack South Elementary School. She also plans our annual Harvest Luncheon and Historic Preservation Awards ceremonies. She has given presentations on local history, including “Grave Matters,” a series of talks and reenactments coinciding with our annual cemetery tours.

“As a retired American History teacher, my work with the Society is a perfect fit for me.  It has always been my goal to bring an appreciation of the rich history of Pennsylvania and its communities to those around me.” — Ellen Drake

William Dunn

Bill Dunn has been a resident of LaAnna for the past eleven years and was appointed to the Board of Directors in January 2021. He serves on the Public Relations Committee, where he promotes community outreach and engagement. As a member of the Technology Committee, Bill evaluates and troubleshoots equipment, evaluates needs, and brings recommendations to the Board concerning purchases of equipment and software. Bill is chair of the Historic LaAnna Project, which includes an application to the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission to determine historic district eligibility.

“I was initially drawn to the Historical Society by my good friend and neighbor George Stone. He was an inspiration for me and my family. My interests are the Greene-Dreher communities—this is the world that involves us and I intend to leave the best of me here. The Historical Society is the vehicle for me to make that happen.”   — Bill Dunn

Wayne Garafola

Wayne Garafola resides in Newfoundland and has been a member of the Society since 2010 and a Director since 2022. Wayne serves as chair of the Building & Grounds Committee where he is responsible for assessing the condition of our facilities and ensuring they are maintained to preserve their long-term viability and historic character, including our meeting hall which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In this capacity, he oversees construction projects and the maintenance of the gardens and grounds. Wayne is a member of the Technology Committee, serves as a museum docent for visitor tours and student field trips at Peggy Bancroft Hall, and assists with the annual wreath sale in December.

“My wife and I moved here in 2002 and immediately became interested in the area’s history. The tanning and logging industries, the creation of Lake Wallenpaupack, the 1955 flood—we wanted to hear about it all! And GDHS is a great way to learn.”  — Wayne Garafola

Ron Rothrock

Ron resides at Lake Paupack in Greene Township and spends his winters in Florida. His lifelong interest in local history led him to join the Society in 2010. He has volunteered on the Building and Grounds Committee and is an active member of several special projects, including Adopt-A-Highway, Adopt-A-Cemetery, and the Property Inventory Project. Ron began his first term on the Board of Directors in 2023, and he serves on the Building and Grounds Committee and the Technology Committee. 

“I became fascinated by the logging industry of the 1800s that sent logs from Promised Land and Lake Paupack down the East Branch to sawmills in Greentown and Wilsonville, and with the tannery at Ledgedale. It’s interesting to understand the changes this area has been through.”   – Ron Rothrock

Suzanne Urton

Suzanne Urton resides in Salem Township and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2019. As Chair of the Collections Committee, Suzanne serves as the Museum Curator responsible for implementing the Society’s collections policy. She catalogs artifacts and archival records in the museum database and guides volunteers in collections care, including the organization, preservation, storage and security of the items. Suzanne is responsible for the design and installation of displays that showcase our permanent collections and tell the story of our early settlement. She serves as a museum docent and leads tours for visitors of all ages, including student field trips. She has conducted workshops on dying wool with natural plants, wool spinning and weaving.