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Board of Directors

Mike Brubaker

Partner, Principled Strategies/Former State Senator

Mike Brubaker is a Partner at Principled Strategies, LLC. He has extensive international business experience as well as meaningful relationships at the local, state and federal government levels. Mike is a former State Senator (2006-2014), who holds a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from West Virginia University. He serves on several boards: the Pennsylvania Economic Development Finance Authority (PEDFA), The Pennsylvania Society, Keystone Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), The Churchill Society, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority,  Donegal Mutual Insurance Company,  Strasburg Railroad Company and the High Holding Corporation Board.

Nick Carter

Chair, Development Committee

Pres. Emeritus Andover Newton Theological School

Nick is a retired academic, minister and activist. He is the former president of two graduate theological schools, and was the founder of Wayfinders, Inc., a fundraising and strategic planning consulting firm.  In the 1980’s Nick was the executive director of the national nuclear disarmament organization Sane/Freeze, in Washington DC. After leaving Washington, he was tapped by three foundations to assist in studying and coaching non-profit organizations. For more than 40 years, Nick’s avocation has been the study of American social movements and in that effort has developed a database of over 3,500 abolitionists.

Kimberly Fletcher

Vice President Family First Health

Kimberly has extensive experience as an officer in human resources management for several firms, specializing in recruitment, hiring, and executive coaching. She is also a professional voice-over actor.

Dan Gagliano

Chair, Buildings and Grounds Committee

Architect, Civic & Built Environment Leader

Daniel is an Architect with 20 years of experience in building design and development. As Director of Design at Mowery Construction, a Top 400 Contractor, he leads integrated Design-Build services to maximize efficiency and value. A member of the American Institute of Architects, his career spans firms of global to regional prominence. He has served on the boards of influential nonprofits advocating for economic development and education, including the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County and Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum. A graduate of Cornell University’s College of Architecture, Art & Planning, Daniel takes an innovative approach to shaping communities and spaces.

Darryl Pendleton Gordon

Chief Human Resources Officer at The High Companies

Darryl brings over 30 years of expertise in human resource leadership. He has successfully achieved International Quality Standard Certification (ISO 9000) for New Holland North America and has implemented new Business (SAP), HR, and Payroll information systems for over 400 key users, managing a payroll of 2,500 coworkers at High. Darryl played a pivotal role in expanding one of High’s strategic business units from one location to five across four states. In addition to his professional achievements, Darryl is deeply committed to community service. He serves as Board Chair of Community Action Partnership of Lancaster, Member of the Martin Luther King Jr. Crispus Attucks Community Center Breakfast Committee, Board Chair of the Lancaster County Career and Technical Center Foundation and is actively involved with the Lancaster County United Way as a Leadership Giver, past Resource Investment Team member, and Account Executive. Darryl is a Life Alumni Member of Penn State University and a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He also contributes his expertise as an Advisory Board member of Traditions Bank, a division of ACNB Bank.

Randy Harris

Journalist & Lecturer

Randy is a native of Western Pennsylvania who has been involved for more than 40 years with community and economic development projects, sustainable land use practices and historic preservation initiatives across Pennsylvania. Trained as a journalist, graphic artist and communications specialist, Randy’s’ work has focused on advocacy, concept planning and related real estate developments to bring new and productive uses to abandoned and underutilized properties. For the past 20 years he has specialized in the research and documentation of sites, programs and facilities associated with the Underground Railroad. This work earned him two awards in 2023 from the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Dr. Leroy Hopkins

Chair History and Exhibits Committee

Professor Emeritus of Foreign Languages (German), Millersville University

Since his retirement, Dr. Hopkins has remained active as a writer and lecturer, including the Free Black participation in the Underground Railroad. He is a Fellow and member of the Board of Lancaster History, and past president of the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania. His scholarly research centered for many years on multicultural German studies but now focuses only local Black History from the Colonial times to the present.

Donna L. Kreiser, Esq.

Treasurer

Vice Chair Emeritus of McNees Wallace & Nurick

Donna is recognized for her deep experience in public finance law and previously co-led the firm’s Public Finance and Government Services Group as well as the firm’s government relations subsidiary company. In addition, she is the immediate past chair of the Lancaster Chamber and serves as an executive committee member of the Board of Trustees. As former deputy general counsel in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) between 1996 and 2000, Donna served as the chief legal liaison with the Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency, the Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.

Celeste Leslie

Columbia Historian/Ret. US Navy

Celeste Leslie is a descendant of people of color in Columbia, PA, from its founding—and the sixth great granddaughter of a woman that was enslaved in Columbia. Her interest in family history led to joining the board of the Columbia Historic Preservation Society, where she researches families of color that resided in the town, including the historic Tow Hill section, where many freedom seekers settled. Celeste is a member of the Zion Hill Cemetery Restoration Project in Columbia, which maintains a historical black cemetery and features stories of the area’s Black population in the 1800s. She is also a member of the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania.

Leo Lutz

Mayor of the Borough of Columbia, PA

Leo Lutz has served the Borough as its Mayor for 24 years. Prior to assuming these responsibilities, Leo was a member of the Columbia School Board and the Columbia Zoning Board. More widely, he has chaired both the Lancaster County Planning Commission, the county’s Transportation Technical Advisory Board, and served on the Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation. He also served as the Pennsylvania Vice Chairman Local Government Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay. Before entering public service, he was the Operations Supervisor at Caterpillar industrial equipment company.

Rev. Dr. Patricia McAlister

Treasurer

Pastor & Project Manager, Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church

In addition to her pastoral work at Mt. Zion, Rev. McAlister works at the Stephen Smith Community Development & Multicultural Center, where she oversees the preservation and complete restoration of SSCDMC and its historical significance to Mt. Zion AMEC, Stephen Smith and the Underground Railroad.

Daisy Pagan

Interim President of the Board

Owner of Perfect Settings & Community Leader

Daisy is a dedicated entrepreneur, community advocate, and planner with a passion for fostering local business growth and bringing people together. She specializes in crafting high-quality weddings, particularly micro-weddings in Columbia, PA. Beyond her business, Daisy plays a pivotal role as the co-founder and VP of the Merchants Association of Columbia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting small businesses and strengthening the local economy. She is one of the “Founding Fathers” of our organization and continues to play a key role in ensuring that the museum comes to fruition. Her dedication has helped bring awareness to the town’s critical role in the Underground Railroad. She is also the General Manager and Buyer for Murphy’s Mercantile—a beloved local gift shop that has recently expanded and is known for unique gifts. Murphy’s Mercantile operates inside Hinkle’s Restaurant, a quintessential cornerstone of the community. Daisy is a devoted wife to Tony her high school sweetheart; together they recently celebrated their 38th Anniversary.

Vanessa Philbert

CEO of the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County

Vanessa has worked for more than a decade at CAPLC. Previously, she was the Director of Community Impact at the United Way of Lancaster.

Dan Sahd

Columbia Business Leader

Dan is a member of the management group at Sahd Metals Recycling. He is also a Board member of the Columbia Economic Development group.

Mark Stewart

Secretary

Author and Historian

Mark has decades of experience in educational publishing, as well as museum development and design. He has also spearheaded marketing and publicity initiatives for major national and international brands, including Disney, Zurich, RWJ Barnabas, FIFA, NBA Properties, Major League Soccer, Denny’s, Pizza Hut and Sesame Street. Mark and his wife, Sarah, moved to Pennsylvania in 2021, purchasing the 1795 home of William Wright, an originator of the Underground Railroad.

Claire Storm

Educator

Claire is a retired public education teacher and administrator. She is a graduate of Millersville University with Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Education, and earned her Doctorate in Education at Temple University. Dr. Storm is a Columbia community leader and is also a board member of the Mount Bethel Cemetery

Tom Strickler

Tom Strickler is the Chief Finance and Operations Officer Elizabethtown Area School District. Previously, he was the superintendent of schools from 2018-2020 for the Columbia Borough School District and Director of Operations at the Eastern Lancaster School District. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. Tom is active with the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and the Mental Health Association of Lancaster County.

Harold Finigan

Harold Finigan is the founder and principal officer of Energy Investors/Finigan Color, a Darby, PA, design and construction firm that educates and promotes sustainability and historic preservation. Previously Harold founded and served as Executive Director of Fort Mifflin on the Delaware, an historic seacoast site in Philadelphia. Early in his varied career, Harold was a staff assistant to US PA Congressman Robert Edgar. Harold is heavily invested in the preservation and promotion of the Darby Friends Meeting House and the involvement of the Darby Quakers in the Underground Railroad. In this latter role, he has developed a definitive database of those who were agents and conductors in the UGRR there in Darby.

Advisory Board

Carmen Holly

Carmen is a retired banking and finance professional having worked for over 25 years in the banking industry as a commercial loan officer. She spent the last twelve years of her career working at the Federal Reserve Board as a banking regulator and policy specialist.  Carmen holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Pennsylvania State University and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

Don Murphy

Real Estate Developer

Don is a business leader and real estate developer with a strong record of revitalization and investment in Columbia. As the owner of several historic properties—including the iconic Hinkle’s Restaurant and Burning Bridge Antiques—and developer of the forthcoming Hampton Inn hotel a block-and-a-half from the Underground Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania—he has played a key role in strengthening the town’s economic and tourism landscape. Through his companies, Cimarron Investments and Murphy Hospitality Group, he has led successful ventures in hospitality, retail, and mixed-use development that honor local heritage while fostering sustainable growth. Don brings strategic vision, operational expertise and a deep commitment to community development to the museum’s Advisory Board.

Barbara Wilson

Executive Director of the Lancaster Housing Authority & President of the Pennsylvania Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies

Born and raised in Columbia, PA, Barbara comes from a proud Columbia family with deep historical roots. Her grandfather arrived during the Great Migration around 1915, and her grandmother—who was born in Columbia in 1885—lived in the town until her death in 1959. Their legacy of resilience and community service continues to inspire her work. Barbara spent much of her career as a college administrator at Franklin & Marshall College before retiring and transitioning into public service. A passionate advocate for housing and community development, she also founded the nonprofit Partners With Purpose to expand opportunities for residents. Beyond her professional achievements, Barbara is a proud mother of two and grandmother of three. Her commitment to preserving history and uplifting her community is deeply personal, and being part of this museum allows her to honor her family’s enduring legacy.

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