Meet the Newest Faces of the MAB Board of Directors

Posted February 21, 2024 in General

Meet the Newest Faces of the MAB Board of Directors

The MAB Board of Directors is growing and evolving!

We are delighted to have Diane Windham Shaw step into the role of Board President. Diane previously served as Vice President. We are also thrilled to welcome three new board members Ricky Santee, Gerry Downes, and Kim Demyan.

Let’s learn a little more about each board member and what they hope to bring to our board.

Diane Windham Shaw | New Board President

What motivated you to join the board of directors of Moravian Archives Bethlehem? I became an archivist in the late 1970s and a Moravian in the late 1990s, so my affinity for the Moravian Archives was quite strong, I met Vernon Nelson, the Moravian Archivist, soon after arriving in Bethlehem when we worked together to host a meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Archivists in 1988. I was delighted to be able to welcome Vernon’s successor Paul Peucker when he arrived to head the Archives in 2004. I was honored to join the Board in 2009, serving under board presidents Mike Long and Tom Bross. It is a privilege to be associated with such a well-respected and well-managed institution.

Can you provide us with a little background about yourself? My early years as an archivist were spent in Special Collections at my alma mater Emory University (BA, MLS) where I also served as an assistant to the rare book cataloger and as the archivist for the papers of Senator Sam Nunn, which were donated to Emory. I moved to the Lehigh Valley to join my husband, Bart Shaw, professor of history at Cedar Crest College, in 1983. After a year at Lehigh University, processing the papers of Lawrence Henry Gipson, the noted historian of the American colonial period, I joined the library staff at Lafayette College in 1985. I was appointed College Archivist in 1987 and oversaw the activities of the Special Collections Department until my retirement in 2019. One of the highlights of my time at Lafayette was curating the collection of materials related to the Marquis de Lafayette for whom the College is named. Even in retirement, I continue to be involved with research and other activities associated with Lafayette, particularly concerning his support for human rights. I also chair Central Moravian Church’s History Committee and I have greatly enjoyed the many projects associated with the remarkable history of Bethlehem’s Moravians.

How do you hope to contribute to the MAB board in the coming year? I am excited about the year ahead and I look forward to helping to further the Archives’ programming and education initiatives. I am especially eager to explore how the Archives can participate in and contribute to Bethlehem’s role as a UNESCO World Heritage site, should that designation be awarded this year.

 


Ricky Santee, Esq. | New Board Member

What motivated you to join the board of directors of Moravian Archives Bethlehem? In January 2007, I was an intern at the Moravian Archives and worked on the digitization of the Archives’ VHS collection and assisted (as best I could, and the little I could help) Dr. Pauline Fox with her efforts to reorganize the Archives’ Female Seminary collection. I enjoyed working with everyone at the Archives during that brief internship, and I have had an affinity for the work of the Archives ever since. When Tom Bross asked if I would serve on the Board of Directors last year, it was an easy “Yes!”

Can you provide us with a little background about yourself?  I am a lawyer in Bethlehem, PA with a general civil practice. I handle civil litigation matters, estate planning and administration matters, and some municipal work. When I’m not spending time with my wife and three children, I enjoy reading and getting outdoors.

 How do you hope to contribute to the MAB board in the coming year? I am hoping to become better acquainted with the current work of the Archives and participate in more of its events and activities. I am very excited to be a part of this Board, and I hope that I can be of use in the coming years.

 

Gerry Downes | New Board Member

What motivated you to join the board of directors of Moravian Archives Bethlehem? I visited the Archives during the 2018 and 2023 Northern Provincial Synods and I was fascinated by the wealth of information available. To be a Moravian from Barbados in the West Indies and to see information about my local Churches preserved and available for posterity was truly amazing and touching.

I was asked by the PEC and I jumped at the opportunity to be involved as a Board member for the Archives in 2023.

Can you provide us with a little background about yourself? I have been an Insurance professional for over 25 years. I am an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute in the UK and a Risk Manager. I specialize in Legal Liability claims handling. At present, I am a Regional Claims Specialist for a Canadian Insurance company.

In my spare time, I love road trips, riding horses, scuba diving, and hiking (pretty much anything outdoors).

How do you hope to contribute to the MAB board in the coming year? Having only just attended my first Board meeting in December, I intend to learn as much as possible over the next year in the hope that I can more effectively contribute during the remainder of my term with the Board.

 

Kim Demyan | New Board Member

What motivated you to join the board of directors of Moravian Archives Bethlehem? I value, both personally and professionally, the mission of the Archives to preserve and share the fascinating history of the Moravians and Bethlehem. I’m inspired by the work that the Archives team does to make historical materials and information accessible to the public and am happy to be able to support these endeavors in such a direct way. I look forward to being a part of an exciting future as well.

Can you provide us with a little background about yourself? I have been at Moravian University for 29 years, and am currently the Director of Reeves Library. My particular focus has been on information literacy for student researchers. Formed by the framework of the Association of College and Research Libraries, we encourage students to engage in the reflective discovery of information, to understand how information is produced and valued, and to use information in creating new knowledge.

In my free time, I like to garden and have established a native meadow garden in my yard to help attract pollinators and help support the ecosystem. I also enjoy walking, particularly in our historic areas, watching football, and of course reading.

How do you hope to contribute to the MAB board in the coming year? I hope to support the already excellent work of the Archives team in highlighting the educational opportunities such a robust and unique historical collection offers a variety of researchers and learners. Also, as part of a separate but certainly intertwined Moravian institution, I would find it interesting to champion that connectedness among the various Moravian organizations.