Board of Trustees

The Hudson River Maritime Museum Board of Trustees leads the museum's governance practices. Volunteer members ensure programs provide exceptional value to residents and visitors now and into the future. 

Officers​
  • Huntley Gill- President
  • Brian Johnson - 1st Vice President
  • Jesse Hicks - 2nd Vice President
  • Robert Burhans - Treasurer
  • Ann Loeding - Secretary​

Board Members​
  • Matt Davidson
  • Stephen Digilio
  • Mark Heller
  • Joshua Mandel
  • Liz McEnaney
  • Mark Peckham
  • Nick Rothlein
  • Bill Ryan

Board of Trustees Terms:
2024: Allan Bowdery, Mark Heller
2025: Huntley Gill, Nick Rothlein
2026: Steve Digilio, Ann Loeding, Mark Peckham, Daniel Proctor
2027: Robert Burhans, Bill Ryan
2028: Jesse Hicks, Brian Johnson, Shelly Wright, Joshua Mandel, Liz McEnaney

​To contact a board member, please use our contact page to speak to the Executive Director. 

Join our Board 

Think you can help HRMM continue to provide exceptional value for the public? We are seeking applications for new members of the Board of Trustees. Learn more about the board experience in the Board Prospectus. Ready to apply? Complete an Application and return it to us along with your resume, or you can apply online.  Positions are open until filled. 

Meet the Trustees

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Robert Burhans is currently a consultant in health emergency management including the preparedness, response and recovery from health emergencies. Immediately after 9/11, he was appointed to serve as the first Director of Health Emergency Preparedness for the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). With 34 years of public health experience at both the state and local level, Mr. Burhans led the state's Office of Health Emergency Preparedness, which coordinated NYSDOH's comprehensive all-hazards preparedness and response activities, including integrating local health departments and the states health care system in readiness and response activities. Mr. Burhans earned a B.A. in Biological Science from the State University of New York, New Paltz, and has completed graduate level coursework at the Nelson A. Rockefeller School of Public Administration and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany School of Public Health. He is a graduate of the SUNY Albany School of Public Health's Northeast Public Health Leadership Institute and has completed the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and School of Public Health.

Matthew Davidson is an environmentalist, part-time geologist and a student of history. He has been a part-time resident of the Hudson Valley area for over 30 years, and now lives in Germantown, NY. For the 23 years prior to 2015, he owned and operated manufacturing companies in and around Chicago. From 2015 until his retirement in 2024, Matt was Deputy Commissioner at New York State’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and was the Commissioner’s designee to the Natural Heritage Trust, a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Since the early 1980s, he has been deeply involved with the J. M. Kaplan Fund, The Open Space Institute, the North Country School, and the Brandywine Trust Company. Matt graduated from the Colorado College in 1976 and received a Masters in economic geology from Harvard University in 1981. He is married to Amy and they share four grown children and four grandchildren (so far). 
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Stephen Digilio worked for Morgan Stanley as a Financial Advisor, Portfolio Manager, and CFP before retiring in 2018. He is a graduate of Poughkeepsie High School and Marist College. He served in the US Army Reserves 1969–1975, Honorable Discharge, SSG E-6. Stephen has volunteered on the boards of Dutchess County United Way, Dutchess County Council of Girl Scouts, Ulster County SPCA, Benedictine Hospital Advisory Board, and Poughkeepsie Tennis Club, and others. He is past Commodore of the Kingston Sailing Club and a current Trustee of the Kingston Power Boat Association as well as past Rear Commodore, Fleet Captain and Secretary. He served as the president of HRMM Board of Trustees from 2007-09. Stephen enjoys golf, sailing, history, and classic cars. He lives with his wife, Paula, in Kingston and Sarasota, Florida.
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Huntley Gill is an architectural preservationist and planner with Guardia Architects in Manhattan and is a maritime preservationist as an avocation.  He has a 22 year involvement with various projects in Hudson Valley in preservation, planning and waterfront access.  He is an alumni of Vassar and of the Graduate School of Architecture, Preservation and Planning at Columbia University.  He holds a 200 ton USCG license, is President of the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District in Manhattan, and is a Trustee of Save Our Ships New York (restoring and operating the historic fireboat John J. Harvey), Friends of Clermont in Germantown, Hudson River Park Advisory Council in Manhattan and of the North River Historic Ship Society.  He lives on the river in Germantown and on the Upper West Side in Manhattan with his husband, Juan Carlos Merlo.  
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​Mark Heller has been a Production Partner at the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase since 2013. This world-renowned annual three-day event is an invitational festival for the international community of acoustic stringed-instrument builders, players, collectors and aficionados, presenting the finest handmade instruments, and music played on them. Mark retired in 2013 from Cardinal Health as Senior Director of Physician Networks in Oncology & Hematology. Prior to that he held similar management positions with Bristol Myers Squibb, Hoffmann- La Roche & AmerisourceBergen. Mark has been a HRMM volunteer Lighthouse Docent guiding group tours out to the lighthouse for the past 15 years. He and his wife Aviva have done extensive traveled extensively, for business and pleasure, visiting over 35 countries worldwide. They have lived on the Hudson River in Ulster Park since 1992 and share a passion for all things River related.
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Jesse Hicks is a local business owner and analyst. Born and raised on the Rondout Creek, Jesse is a 4th generation descendant of the Roberti Family – proprietors of Lou’s Boat Basin. He has a vast range of experience - over 10 years in small scale entrepreneurship and 6 years’ experience in Strategy Operations for Startup & Global Enterprises in Boston, MA. Jesse is owner/operator of A Day Away Kayak Rentals, where he developed a small local paddle sport livery from two kayaks and $100. Jesse has co-created business and organizational development functions for global enterprises – one enterprise turning from two employees to over eighteen, within three global regions, and was responsible for over $10M in attributable new revenue within one year.
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Brian Johnson is retired from Citigroup, were he spent 24 years in various financial roles, most recently on the distressed debt trading desk, where he was responsible for overseeing significant principal risk positions, as well as serving on creditor committees and participating in debt restructurings. Brian was previously the Head of Bank Loan Research at Salomon Smith Barney, and the Head of High Yield Bond Research at Citicorp Securities. Brian graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.A. in Economics, and from Columbia University Graduate School of Business with an M.B.A. in Finance. Brian grew up in Kingston, NY, where his family was active in the local community, and currently resides in Staatsburg, NY and New York City. Brian enjoys getting out on his sailboat on the Hudson River, as well as cruising in Maine during the summer. 
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​Ann Loeding is a professional mariner with 15 years of experience operating tugs on the Hudson River, NY Harbor, NYS Barge Canal, and Great Lakes. Most recently she has managed restoration work on several large historic vessels including 1902 steamer Columbia, 1942 covered barge Pennsylvania Railroad No. 399, and 1931 canal motorship Day Peckinpaugh. Other work with heritage and working vessels includes grant writing and operations support for 1931 ex-FDNY fireboat John J. Harvey, captain and marine operations for the "GlassBarge Tour" for The Corning Museum of Glass, and an historic features assessment and restoration designs for the 1908  lightship Ambrose for South Street Seaport Museum. A resident of Kingston, Ann has been active in many waterfront and community planning initiatives.
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​Josh Mandel graduated from SUNY Oswego with a degree in Industrial Arts Education and has master degrees in Special Education and Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. After teaching and administrative roles in New York City he completed his career as a high school principal in Ossining, New York.  He has sailed his boat for decades on the Hudson River, crewed in the Carribean, and recently was a live aboard on a sailboat for two years with his wife.  He has also hiked throughout the Northeast becoming a winter 46er and a NE 111 member.  Since 2017 he has volunteered at the HRMM Wooden Boat School and Sailing School.  He is looking forward to his upcoming work with the Board of Trustees. 
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​Liz McEnaney is a preservationist and nonprofit leader. She is a co-founder of the Hudson Valley Collaborative (HVCo), a woman-led design collaborative that works with communities on design, planning, and preservation projects in the Hudson Valley region and beyond. Previously, Liz served as Executive Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation. Prior to this, she was the Executive Director and later a Board Member of the SS Columbia Project, a nonprofit organization restoring a 1902-built National Historic Landmark steamboat. She lives in Columbia County and New York City.
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Mark Peckham is a lifelong maritime history enthusiast who lives with his wife Shauna in the historic Hudson River hamlet of New Baltimore.  He retired in 2015 from a career in Historic Preservation, where he was employed by the City of Seattle, an Albany architectural firm, and the New York State Division for Historic Preservation.  While employed by New York State he served as the National Register Program Coordinator, Field Services Bureau Director and Bureau of Historic Sites Director.  He also served as Executive Secretary to the New York State Board for Historic Preservation and as a member of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission.  In addition to history, Mark enjoys sailing, illustration and carving ship models.
Nick Rothlein is Owner/Operator at Rondout Yacht Basin in Connelly which he has run with his brother Andrew since 2016. Born and raised in Kingston, Nick lived in Northern California for 8 years and graduated from Humboldt State University double majoring in Recreation Administration and Business Administration. Nick was awarded the Marinas.com Young Leader Award in 2020 and the yacht basin was designated a Boaters' Choice Winner in 2016 through 2020. Nick values the historical significance of our region’s local lighthouses as well as HRMM’s education programs which enable people to have positive and meaningful experiences on the River.
Bill Ryan has led Product Development Engineering and Site Operations during his 31 year career with the  IBM Corporation. He presently works for AcBel Polytech Inc  a Taiwan based company where he set up and managed support centers in the U.S. and Europe, and serves as Regional Director for the company's operations in the U.S. and Mexico. He has an MBA in Finance and BA in Physics from Marist College. Bill has served on the board for over 10 years and is a member of the Finance committee. He is active in a number of community organizations in Ulster County and looks forward to supporting the museum’s mission and programming. He lives in Hurley with his wife Arlene. 

Honor Board

In 2017, the Hudson River Maritime Museum invited all board members who ever served to join a special Honor Board. As the Hudson River Maritime Museum looks to the future, we wish to honor those who have served the organization. We look to these former board members for their wisdom and experience as we continue to grow. 

Honor Board
  • Raymond Armater
  • Alan Bendelius
  • Anna Brett
  • Mary Brookings Andrews
  • Alan Bowdery
  • Robert Carlzon
  • John Crist
  • Diane DeChillo
  • Daniel Devine
  • Annmarie Dwyer
  • David Eaton
  • Joseph W. Fleming 
  • Jay Hogan
  • Scott Johnson 
  • Peter E. Kane 
  • Allynne Lange
  • Russell Lange
  • Marita Lopez-Mena
  • Fred Mangelsdorf 
  • Frank Marcigliano
  • Carolyn Millonig
  • Ralph Mills​
  • David Price
  • Dan Proctor
  • Lillian Schecter
  • John Shults
  • Daniel Shuster
  • Jim Sperry
  • John Stephenson
  • Gregg Swanzey
  • Francesca Szabadi
  • Jack Weeks​
  • Ian Westergren
  • Michael Wholey
  • ​Dale Wolfield
  • Joyce Wright
  • Shelley Wright

If you have ever served on the Board of Trustees for the Hudson River Maritime Museum and would like to join the Honor Board, please contact Lisa Cline at [email protected].