OLD ALLENTOWN PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION
BOARD MEMBER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BIOS
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Jim Villaume (President) – Mr. Villaume has lived in Old Allentown for over 20 years. He was OAPA’s first-ever Executive Director and recently filled that position again on a part-time basis. He also served as OAPA’s Treasurer for three years and is currently Secretary of the Allentown Planning Commission. Jim is a PA Registered Professional Geologist and recently retired from PPL Corp., where he spent 26 years as a supervisor in its Environmental Management Division. He holds a B.A. degree in geology and an M.S. degree in geochemistry. His term expires 12/31/08.
Sharon Smith (Vice President) – Ms. Smith has been a homeowner in the Historic District for 22 years. She is Chair of the Elm Street Promotions Committee, which oversees all outbound communications, events, and promotional activities. She is president and co-founder of the Old Town Neighborhood Watch Crime Group and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Housing Service of the Lehigh Valley. Sharon is the Senior Director of Client Services and Business Development for TACODA, an online behavioral targeting network based in New York City. She has an AAS degree in industrial management/business. Her term expires 12/31/07.
Hiram Munger (Treasurer) – Mr. Munger moved into the Historic District in 1979, when his employer relocated its Lower Manhattan office to the Lehigh Valley. He is now retired after 30 years as a Medical Claims Manager with Aetna Insurance. This is Hiram’s second stint as OAPA’s Treasurer, having previously served in that capacity for six years. He also maintains the OAPA Pocket Park at 8th and Gordon Streets and volunteers at the Morris Arboretum and the Allentown Preservation league’s salvage warehouse. His term expires 12/31/08.
Dr. Susan Fuller (Secretary) – Dr. Fuller has lived in the District for two years and is participating in the planning for this year’s House Tour. Sue is an elementary school counselor in the Allentown School District and an adjunct professor at Lehigh University. She has a B.A. in psychology, a M.Ed. in school counseling, and a Ph.D. in educational studies. Her term expires 12/31/08.
Dale Fritchman – Mr. Fritchman, a high school guidance counselor in northern New Jersey, has lived in the Historic District since 1987 and previously served on OAPA’s Board for five years, two as President and one as Vice President. One of the founders of OAPA’s Flower & Flea Market, Mr. Fritchman served as House Tour Committee Chair for two years and contributed many hours to OAPA’s A&R Program. He holds a B.S. degree and a M.Ed. degree in education. His term expires 12/31/07.
Shane Fillman – Mr. Fillman is a senior buyer for Brown Printing Company in East Greenville, PA. A resident of Old Allentown since 1990, he is a 2001 Properties of Merit winner. Over the years Mr. Fillman has volunteered for various OAPA events, such as the House Tour and the Flower and Flea market, and has assisted with several A&R projects. He is a Certified Purchasing Manager. His term expires 12/31/07.
Deborah Rabinsky – As newcomers to the Historic District, Ms. Rabinsky and her husband quickly volunteered to host social events in their home and then agreed to jointly chair the Social Committee. A former art gallery owner in Easton and now curator of the David A. Portlock Cultural Center at Lafayette College, she brings her experience with the revival of Easton to the Board. Her term expires 12/31/07.
Sam Crothers – Mr. Crothers moved into the District in 2001, when he married an Old Allentown resident. Sam owns a swimming pool maintenance, renovation, and repair business in Allentown. Sam spends two months each year in the rainforests of Central and South America. An expert on neotropical orchids, frogs, birds, and rainforest dynamics, Sam has been guiding and doing research on the neotropics for over twenty years and is currently working on a guidebook on the frogs of Suriname. Prior to joining OAPA’s Board, Sam served on the Steering Committee and Board of Directors and chaired the Human Services Subcommittee of Allentown’s Weed and Seed Program. He is an active member of the Old Town Neighborhood Watch Group, which his wife co-founded. His term expires 12/31/08.
Luis Gil de Lamadrid – Mr. Gil de Lamadrid, who has lived in Old Allentown for almost four years, was educated and trained in early childhood education, psychology, and philosophy and did post graduate work at the New School for Social Service in New York City. “Gil” was former director of a New York City law firm and patient account manager for the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. He is currently employed by St. Lukes Hospital. Gil is chairman of Old Allentown’s Elm Street Organization Committee, which is responsible for outreach into the community. His term expires 12/31/07.
Kim Ceccatti – Ms. Ceccatti fell in love with the Old Allentown Historic District during its House Tour eleven years ago and bought her house shortly thereafter. She served on the Board in the late 1990s as chairperson of the Social Committee and is back serving on the House Tour Committee. Kim has been an elementary and middle school counselor for the past ten years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in secondary education and a Master’s Degree in counseling psychology. She is currently working toward a Teaching Leadership Certificate at Lehigh University. Her term expires 12/31/08.
Geoffrey Brace – Mr. Brace has lived in Old Allentown for a year and is the Eastern Regional Manager for the PA Downtown Center. When he joined the Board, he was the Borough Business Coordinator for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. Geoff’s experience includes serving as the Elm Street Manager in West Chester, PA and working as a legislative aide to State Representative Robert L. Freeman, who sponsored the bill creating the Elm Street Program. He holds a Masters Degree in public policy and a Bachelors Degree in politics and economics. Currently, Geoff is a PA Political Fellow with the Center for Progressive Leadership. His term expires 12/31/08.
Susan Tucci (Alternate) – Ms. Tucci moved to Allentown in late 2006 and purchased a row home in Center City Allentown. Her most recent professional affiliation was with the Suffolk County Coalition against Domestic Violence. Prior to that she was an editor at Latin Long Island Magazine, where she worked to establish a bi-monthly English-language magazine focusing on the local Hispanic community. Ms. Tucci is the former co-president of the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls, a philanthropic organization. She holds a B.A. degree in sociology.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Marie Sincavage – Ms. Sincavage became OAPA’s second full-time Executive Director in February, 2007. Previously, she was Program Manager for the PA Council on the Arts/Partners in the Arts Program and recently served as a PA Council on the Arts grants review panelist for local government grants. In addition, she attended Villanova University’s National Society of Fund Raising Executives Management Series, Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Middle Management Training Program, and United Way’s Volunteer Management Workshop. She holds both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in public administration.