President
610-692-4800 ext 237
Download the PDF for The Chester County Historical Society President's press release.
Dr. Lukens's first experience in museums came as a volunteer at Chester County Historical Society nearly twenty years ago. He also interned at CCHS early in his career. He worked as the organization's Collections Manager from 1998-2003, supporting exhibitions such as Just Over the Line: Chester County and the Underground Railroad and various collections initiatives. He later served as Chief Curator and later Head of Collections at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia, where he was responsible for implementing a new collections and exhibitions program. From 2005 to 2009, Dr. Lukens led Historic Yellow Springs in Chester Springs, West Pikeland Township. During his tenure, the organization underwent a merger process through which it merged with the Chester Springs Studio art center.
Since 2009, Dr. Lukens has been the Exhibits and Education Director at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington D.C. At the Capitol Visitor Center he was responsible for overseeing the 16,500 square foot exhibition E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One and educational initiatives for the center's more than 2 million annual visitors.
Dr. Lukens is no stranger to West Chester, Chester County, or the Historical Society. A former resident of West Chester, Dr. Lukens contributed over 75 articles to the Daily Local News between 2003 and 2008 on the county's heritage. He mixes his academic with professional interests, with a PhD from Temple University in American History. Portions of his dissertation, researched in the Historical Society's collections, were published in Pennsylvania History and contributed to his work as guest curator of CCHS's exhibition Chilling Reality: Chester County's Arctic Explorers, which opened last fall.
Dr. Lukens is a former member of the West Chester Historical and Architectural Review Board, former Vice-Chair of the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, and Commonwealth Speaker with the Pennsylvania Humanities Council in 2008 and 2009. Dr. Lukens has a certificate in non-profit management from the Non-Profit Center at LaSalle University. He lives with his wife Rebecca and their two children, Abbie and Finley, in North Wilmington, Delaware.
Carol Rockwood
Operations Manager
610-692-4800 ext 236
crockwood@chestercohistorical.org
Laurie Rofini
Director of Archives and Records Services
Cliff Parker
Archivist
Kim Bucklaw
Assistant Archivist
Chester County Historical Society administers the Chester County Archives in cooperation with the County of Chester. The Archives, which is open to the public for research, is located in the Government Services Center at 601 Westtown Road, just outside of West Chester. For information on historic county records, including searchable online indexes, please visit the Chester County Archives website at www.chesco.org/archives. You may also reach the Archives by telephone at 610-344-6760 or by e-mail at ccarchives@chesco.org.
Development
David Reinfeld
Vice President of Development
610-692-4800 ext 267
dreinfeld@chestercohistorical.org
David brings over 10 years of experience in the areas of donor and executive relations, board development, planned giving, and major gift fundraising. As Vice President of Development, David will oversee corporate and foundation relations, manage the $1 million challenge grant, grow Planned Giving, and work with the CCHS President, Board of Trustees and the appropriate Board committees to further fundraising objectives.
Signe Millichap
Database Manager
610-692-4800 ext 206
smillichap@chestercohistorical.org
Signe manages the CCHS database of members and donors and is responsible for the membership program.
Melinda Wentz
Facility Sales Coordinator
610-692-4800 ext 230
rentals@chestercohistorical.org
Melinda coordinates, manages, and promotes CCHS's rental program.
Sue Knight
Family/Youth Programs Coordinator
610-692-4800 ext 203
sknight@chestercohistorical.org
Sue shares with Carol Samuelson responsibility for the day-to-day running of the youth programs at the Historical Society. She takes reservations from schools, schedules guides, plans family and school programs and teaches both at the museum and in classroom outreach programs. Teachers, scout leaders and other youth group leaders should contact her to get information about these programs or to schedule a group visit.
Carol Samuelson
Family/Youth Programs Coordinator
610-692-4800
csamuelson@chestercohistorical.org
Carol shares with Sue responsibility for the day-to-day running of the youth programs at the Historical Society. She plans programs and teaches both at the museum and in classroom outreach programs. An avid quilter, she also has worked on the Quilt Documentation project, connecting students to the exhibit.
Mary Galligan
National History Day Coordinator
610-692-4800 ext 202
sepaNHD@chestercohistorical.org
Mary coordinates an exciting year round program of history research and projects open to all 6th through 12th grade students in Chester and Delaware Counties. The culminating regional History Day event is held annually every March, though local participants may also compete at the state and national levels. Whether it is through workshops, classroom visits, or individual support, Mary is available to guide you through the process of participating in National History Day! On this website, please click on "Learning" and then select "National History Day" for more details about this program.
Diane Rofini
Librarian
610-692-4800 ext 226
drofini@chestercohistorical.org
Diane is responsible for all aspects of the research library at CCHS, including the half million manuscripts in the collection, and can be contacted for possible donations of books, genealogies, family papers, and other manuscripts. She welcomes phone calls with any questions about our holdings.
Margaret Baillie
Project Archivist
610-692-4800 ext 366
mmbaillie@chestercohistorical.org
Margaret processes and writes finding aids for manuscript collections as part of grant projects for CCHS, in addition to her time spent as a part-time reference librarian.
Ellen Endslow
Director of Collections/Curator
610-692-4800 ext 257
eendslow@chestercohistorical.org
Ellen, as Director of Collections, oversees the museum, library, photo archives and County Archives. As the Curator she is responsible for the care, interpretation of and access to the museum collection. Contact her regarding the quilt documentation project, exhibits, institutional requests for object loans, illustrated lectures available through the CCHS Speakers Bureau, and reproduction and photo reproduction requests for objects.
Pam Powell
Photo Archivist
610-692-4800 ext 260
ppowell@chestercohistorical.org
Pam oversees the Photo Archives, which is the place to call if you are looking for historical photographs for research purposes or for publication in books, magazines, newspapers and videos. CCHS Photo Archives has over 80,000 historical photographs that document Chester County people and landscape from the 1840s to today. CCHS reproduction service can make reproductions suitable for display or to suit commercial needs.
Have a question regarding preserving your family's collection of photographs? Having a hard time assigning a date to a historical photo? The photo archivist can assist you.
Volunteers
Tom McIntyre
Volunteer Organization President
610-692-4800 ext 232
tmcintyre@chestercohistorical.org
Tom spent 29 years employed by Chester County, retiring in 2007 as the Executive Director of the Chester County Department of Community Development. In that capacity he managed a staff of 28 and oversaw funding for workforce development and community development activities in Chester County that addressed job training, adult literacy, community revitalization, affordable housing and emergency shelter.
From 2007 to 2010, Tom worked for the Chester County Economic Development Council as their Director of Government and Municipal Services. He has served on numerous community advisory boards and currently serves on the Board of the Salvation Army of West Chester and the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame. He is also a volunteer at the Chester County Food Bank. Tom and his wife, Ida, former CCHS Business Manager, have been members since 1975. Tom has volunteered and provided assistance for numerous CCHS activities, events and “emergencies du jour” over the years.”