Harrisburg – Governor Tom Wolf today announced the appointment of Nancy Moses, of Philadelphia, as chair of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), the commonwealth’s official history agency.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is an independent administrative board consisting of nine citizens appointed by the governor, the secretary of education (ex-officio), and four members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly appointed by the leaders of their caucuses.
The PHMC works to preserve, interpret and promote Pennsylvania’s past through the Pennsylvania State Archives, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, the State Historic Preservation Office and the Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums.
Nancy Moses began her career as a program chief at the National Endowment for the Humanities and then went on to top management positions at WQED-Pittsburgh Public Broadcasting, the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Philadelphia Studies and the City of Philadelphia.
As an independent consultant, and through her firm Collaborations Inc., Moses has helped clients create heritage tourism entities and digital learning labs; launch international, environmental and civic initiatives; and establish new philanthropies. Her clients range from government to community-based heritage, economic development and service organizations.
Moses is the author of Stolen, Smuggled, Sold: On the Hunt for Cultural Treasures (2015) and the award-winning Lost in the Museum: Buried Treasures and the Stories They Tell (2008). She currently serves as a guest columnist for the Philadelphia Business Journal, profiling influential women in her Power Lunch column.
In addition to Moses, the governor has appointed – and the Senate confirmed – a slate of new commissioners to represent the citizens of Pennsylvania:
Ophelia M. Chambliss, York, has been successfully working and exhibiting as a fine artist for many years. In addition to a number of solo and group exhibitions, she has participated in several distinguished juried shows. Prior to her career in fine art, she was a business professional in the publishing industry, specializing in graphic design, and an independent contractor working as the business development director for a publishing services company in Maryland. She continues to do freelance work in graphic design and print production.
William V. Lewis Jr., Pittston, is vice president/wealth management advisor and portfolio manager with Merrill Lynch in Wilkes-Barre. He is a certified financial planner and a certified portfolio manager. Lewis served on the National Board of Governors of the American Red Cross and is a past president of the Luzerne County Historical Society and the Northeast Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution.
Robert M. Savakinus, Carbondale, is the transition education specialist for the Luzerne Intermediate Unit, developing and supervising outreach programs for special needs students. He serves on the boards of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum and Iron Furnaces Associates, and the Lackawanna County Arts and Culture and Education Committee. Savakinus is also the executive producer and founder of Pippin Pictures. His documentaries include The Rocky Glen Movie, Return to Rocky Glen Movie, and A Token to the Past: The Story of the Electric City.
David Schuyler, Lancaster, is the Arthur and Katherine Shadek Professor of the Humanities and American Studies at Franklin and Marshall College, where he has taught since 1979. Schuyler was associate editor of Journal of Planning History and is now a member of its editorial board. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Hudson River Valley Review and chair of the editorial board of the Frederick Law Olmsted Papers publication project.
Kenneth C. Turner, Elwood City, is a well-known author of books and articles on the American Civil War. He coauthored The Civil War in Pennsylvania: A Photographic History (2012) and contributed to The Civil War in Pennsylvania: The African-American Experience (2014) as part of the Pennsylvania Civil War 150 commemoration. He is active in his community and was honored with the Distinguished Service Award by the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce, for which he formerly served as president.
Philip D. Zimmerman, Lancaster, is a nationally recognized authority on Early American furniture and author of several books, including Harmony in Wood: Furniture of the Harmony Society (2010), museum catalogues and articles. He is on the adjunct faculty at New York University in the appraisal studies program and is a visiting scholar at Franklin and Marshall College, where he teaches “Museum Mysteries.” Before forming his own consulting business, he was director of the museum collections division at Winterthur, executive director of the Historical Society of York County and curator of the Currier Museum of Art. He is a trustee of Preservation Pennsylvania.
In addition to these new members, there are previously confirmed members that continue to serve as commissioners.
Andrew E. Masich, Pittsburgh, was appointed under the previous administration. He is president and CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center. Since 1998 he has provided leadership for the operation of the 275,000-square-foot history center and its staff of 125, as well as the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Fort Pitt Museum and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, which includes the archeological site of the oldest human habitation in North America. Masich is the immediate past chair of the commission.
Fredrick C. Powell, Mechanicsburg, was appointed under the previous administration. He is the founder and CEO of OMNI Interactive Systems, which custom designs and installs electronic systems for homes and businesses. Previously, he founded and served as chairman, president and CEO of Rehab Systems Co., building and operating rehabilitation hospitals around the U.S. Powell currently serves on the governing boards of Alfred University, CORA Health Care Services Inc., Ionia Inc., Salt ‘n Light Youth Ministries Inc., Camp Hill United Methodist Church and Wesley Theological Seminary.
Members of the General Assembly, appointed by their caucuses to serve on the commission, include Senator Andrew E. Dinniman (19th District, Chester County), Senator Joseph B. Scarnati III (25th District, Cameron, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter and Tioga counties and portions of Clearfield County), Representative Robert Matzie (16th District, Beaver and Allegheny counties) and Representative Scott Petri (178th District, Bucks County).
Pedro Rivera, secretary of education, is an ex-officio member of the commission.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, visit www.phmc.pa.gov.
Media Contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639