Susan started her journey at Harper Ferry National Historical Park in 1977 as a volunteer. Since 1979 she has worked on and off as a temporary park ranger interpretation. In her 43-year journey in the park, she conducted tours, worked the visitor center desk, conducted living history demonstrations, worked special events and even collected entrance fees. Susan’s professional career has been with Loudoun County Public Schools. She began her career as a high school history teacher and is currently an Instructional Facilitator of Technology.

Jim Silvia has been a member of the Harpers Ferry Park Association since 1998 and has served on its board in several capacities over the years. He lives in Massachusetts where his love of history began with the Cape Cod Civil War Round Table. Jim and his wife Suzanne purchased an 1842 former armory worker’s house as a vacation home in Bolivar and plan to retire here. Jim became a certified park guide in 2013 and spends most of his spare time roaming the historic areas and reading all he can about the town and local events.

Mike received his B.S. in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, his MBA from Babson College with a concentration in Accounting, and his ALM (master’s degree) in Finance from Harvard University’s Continuing Education School. In 2016, he received his doctorate (Ed.D.) in Higher Education Administration from New England College. His dissertation was entitled “Financial Literacy Among College Undergraduates Following the 2008-2009 Recession.”

Pat is a luxury industry and academic executive with extensive global network skilled in organizational infrastructure and leadership, stakeholder engagement, program creation and development, strategic business development, and corporate social responsibility. She has employment and board of director experience in academia, for-profit and non-profit arenas. Her valuable knowledge of governance and due diligence issues complements her ability to simultaneously launch and manage complex initiatives, ultimately furthering an organizations’ vision, mission and goals. 

John discovered Harpers Ferry 50 years ago and has loved it ever since.  He became a member of the Harpers Ferry Park Association in 2019 and began volunteering there in 2023. He is retired from the Library of Congress where he was responsible for strategic planning, risk management, digital preservation, and many special projects.  He currently serves as President of the Shepherdstown Public Library Foundation.

Maria Beckman is an attorney who has practiced in the education and civil rights law fields, including with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Civil Rights Law Office, the University of Central Florida, and currently with Legal Aid of West Virginia. She has served as secretary, grant administrator, and board member of the Harpers Ferry- Bolivar Historic Town Foundation, in which capacity she assisted in the development of the Harpers Ferry Black Heritage Walking Tour.

She believes that understanding and remembering the lives, struggles, and achievements of the people who spent time here helps us to feel connected to them, to this place, and to each other.  She is still amazed by the natural beauty of this place and its power to heal. She believes that preserving and safeguarding this place for all people to experience now and for the future is a sacred responsibility.

Chuck’s connection to Harpers Ferry goes way back, as his parents grew up here and actually met at the old Harpers Ferry High School (now the junior high). Trips to the park site were frequent back then, sparking a lifelong fascination with both the history and beauty of Harpers Ferry.

Professionally and academically, his journey took a detour into the arts – 14 years as a professional actor, an MFA from the University of Maryland in nonprofit/arts management, and nine years directing the marketing and communications departments at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts (Olney, MD) and BlackRock Center for the Arts (Germantown, MD). He then transitioned to the public lands arena, using his nonprofit experience to spearhead the education and training programs for 14 years at the Public Lands Alliance, working with National Park Service units and their nonprofit partners across the country.

Catherine’s journey with the National Park Service began in 1982 as a volunteer at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. What started as a passion quickly became a lifelong career — she spent 28 years at Harpers Ferry as a Park Ranger and educator, before taking on leadership roles at parks in Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, and New York.

Throughout her career, Catherine was especially drawn to work that connected parks with people — partnerships, community outreach, education, interpretation, and public engagement were what she loved most. She recently retired as Superintendent of Shiloh National Military Park.

Originally from the D.C. and Maryland area, Catherine holds a degree in political science from Hood College and a master’s in educational leadership from West Virginia University. She’s also shared her expertise as an adjunct professor.

Outside of work, Catherine enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring the arts, and being with her large and close-knit family. She now calls Elizabethtown, Kentucky home, but is often back in the WV/MD areas where most of her family resides!

Laura opened The Outfitter at Harpers Ferry in 1996, and has been an active member of the community here ever since. A Certified Public Accountant, she spent 10 years working in mortgage finance, including three years in audit and analyst positions at Freddie Mac. She subsequently served as a Senior Auditor for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Washington, DC. She has been an active member of the Harpers Ferry Merchants Association and has served on the Harpers Ferry Planning Committee and Board of Appeals. She looks forward to helping the Association manage its finances to maximize our aid to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

Chris is a certified park guide in Harpers Ferry and a long-time volunteer for the Sierra Club and the Trail and Town Alliance of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar. He operated Laurel Lodge B&B in his home for 10 years and is a semi-retired school teacher. Last year, Chris was featured as a guide to Harpers Ferry and the C&O Canal in the WGBH  production "The Great Ride."

Mark retired from the United States Army in 1998 after close to 30 years of active and reserve time in both the Army and Marine Corps, with service as a musician in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry (“The Old Guard”),  the Army’s ceremonial unit at Fort Myer, VA, and the United States Marine Band (“The President’s Own”) in Washington. He is a nationally known military historian with expertise in American long arms used by the Army and Navy in the early to mid-19th century and military music. His passion for the history of Harpers Ferry, both industrial and social, has been a driving force and passion for most of his life.