The Lackawanna Historical Society Trustees

Michael Gilmartin
		Michael is a retired teacher from the Abington Heights School District. He currently works in a family- owned business, NADA & CO., in Scranton. As a community volunteer I work with the Scranton Cultural Center, Scranton Tomorrow/Main Street Project, EOTC, and The Society for the Preservation of the Tripp Family Homestead. Since being named an LHS trustee, I have done committee work in support of fundraising events including the Historic House Tour on the Hill, A Night at the Theatre, the Rocky Glen Park documentary, and Arts on Fire. At the present time I am serving as president of the board.

Donald J. Frederickson, Jr., Esquire
	Donald is an attorney and partner with Kobal & Frederickson, Moosic, PA. He serves as solicitor for LHS legal issues.

Laurie M. Cadden
Laurie M. Cadden graduated from West Scranton Senior High School before taking paralegal and real estate certification courses at Penn State University and studying banking and finance at Lackawanna College. She is the owner of Laurie Cadden Enterprises, LLC, is a realtor at ERA One Source Realty, and holds professional membership in the Greater Scranton Board of Realtors. Laurie is a local radio and television host with WILK radio and Electric City Television. She is a recipient of several community service awards and recently was listed as one of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Top 25 Women in Business. Laurie volunteers as a board member of Scranton Tomorrow, Friendship House, the Community Intervention Center, YMCA, the Lackawanna County Commission for Women, Society of Irish Women, Scranton Jazz Festival and Voluntary Action Center. She also is on the advisory board of Ballet Theatre of Scranton. Laurie's favorite local history topic is Women in Scranton.

Douglas Forrer, CPA
Douglas Forrer has served as a trustee of the LHS since 1997 and as treasurer since 1998. Born on Long Island, NY, he graduated from The University of Scranton in 1996 and decided to make northeastern Pennsylvania his home. In 2001 he opened his own accounting practice and continues in that profession today.

Dalida A. Walton
Dalida A. Walton is a resident of Clarks Green, PA. She is a graduate of The University of Scranton and the Leadership Lackawanna program. She is a member of a few local boards and has served as chairperson or co-chairperson of fundraising events in the community. She holds a finance and benefits position at Hospice of the Sacred Heart in Wilkes-Barre. Dalida has been on the LHS Board of Trustees for six years. She is responsible for the Reception Committee which provides refreshments for the Society's monthly programs at the Catlin House. In addition, Dalida has chaired or co-chaired plays performed as fundraisers for the Historical Society. Dalida has worked on PR for the Historic House Tour on the Hill and was on the MAP committee. Training programs: Girl Scouts of USA, American Cancer Society and PA Dept. of Aging. Additional Volunteer Activities: member, Lackawanna County Suicide Prevention & Awareness Task Force; volunteer, Electric Theatre Company.

William Conlogue

William Conlogue, who teaches English at Marywood University, serves the LHS as board secretary and as chair of the Publications Committee.


Joe Cimini		Joe Cimini is a longtime member and trustee of the Lackawanna Historical Society, having served as the organization's president from 1989 until 1997. He has been on the faculty of The University of Scranton since 1980, where he is an associate professor of Sociology / Criminal Justice. A lawyer by training, Joe is a member of the bar and at one time was an Assistant United States Attorney and then served as a part-time federal magistrate judge. He graduated from The University of Scranton and received his law degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was law clerk to Judge Edwin M. Kosik in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas. Mr. Cimini is a member of several railroad history organizations, including the National Railway Historical Society, and he has a particular interest in the history of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad here in northeastern Pennsylvania. As a trustee of the Lackawanna Historical Society, Joe has facilitated focus groups of the organization's volunteers and of its trustees in connection with the Museum Assessment Plan project. He also is a member of the MAP subcommittee on governance.
Joe Cimini

Thomas J. Cipriano		Thomas J. Cipriano Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Tom has resided in Lackawanna County since his graduation from the University of Scranton. Tom credits his deep interest in history with his upbringing in Southampton, PA, a community steeped in colonial history, encompassing lands purchased by William Penn from the Lenni-Lenape Indians in 1683 and incorporated as a township in 1685. Tom's introduction to the Lackawanna Historical Society was made in 2003 while working for the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority in Mayfield, PA when the late Alan Sweeney was serving as president of the LHVA board. Since that time, Tom has proudly served as an active volunteer at the Catlin House and at LHS events throughout the county. Although Tom is not originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania, he has made a point of learning as much about the region as possible by reading many local history publications and through conversations with long-time area residents. Tom is proud to have made his home in Lackawanna County and he is equally proud to contribute to the important mission of the Lackawanna Historical Society by serving as a member of the Building and Grounds Committee and as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Jeffrey R. Kiefer		Jeffrey Kiefer, a Lackawanna county native, is a Senior Project Manager at Astriva LLC. He has been a member of the Lackawanna Historical Society since 2008 and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2013. He is an active volunteer in many LHS committees and enthusiastically leads our volunteers in Holiday decorating each year!

Richard J. Leonori, AIA		Scranton native and resident Richard J. Leonori, AIA, graduated from Scranton Central High School and received Bachelors of Fine Arts and Architecture degrees from Cornell University. Through Cornell, he studied Italian Renaissance art and architecture in Florence, Italy and completed graduate work in historic preservation planning. Mr. Leonori, a Registered Architect in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, enjoys professional practice as a partner in the firm of hemmler+camayd architects. Active in numerous projects, Mr. Leonori’s design and restoration work includes the Lackawanna County Children’s Library, St. Peter’s Cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Ann, and Lackawanna College. He helped found the Architectural Heritage Association, a non-profit historic preservation organization. Mr. Leonori serves as a trustee of the Lackawanna Historical Society where he co-chairs the Building and Grounds Committee and is widely known for his walking tours of downtown Scranton and local churches. He has served as a consultant for the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission and as adjunct faculty at Marywood University. Other activities include the American Institute of Architects and the Scranton Historic Architecture Review Board.

		I began my education at Boston University and finished from The University of Scranton. I teach pre-school and kindergarten at a private Montessori school. My interest in history has been lifelong. I am new to the board and hope to learn a lot about the LHS. I also am looking forward to finding a spot where I can contribute best to the future and welfare of the organization.

Mary Jane Memolo		Member, Daughters of the American Revolution; president of the Catherine DeLacy Roche Tent Daughters of Union Veterans, and Red Hat Queen of the Rebellious Belles!! Member of the Executive Committee of the Dunmore Historical Society. Member of Marywood University’s Institute of Lifelong Learning Advisory Board. Serves as chair of the Program Committee of the Lackawanna Historical Society.
Mary Jane Memolo

Leni Piasky		A retired State Farm employee, Leni has been volunteering since 2004, serving as a docent at the Catlin House and leading our downtown architectural walking tours and Halloween haunted walking tours around the city. She can often be found at the registration table for various events, or helping with the gardening at the Catlin House.

Christine Posly		Christine Posly was introduced to the Lackawanna Historical Society by attending one of the Society's Dunmore Cemetery Tours. Since then, she has served as a volunteer for over 10 years, helping manage tables at events and co-chairing the 2015 Historic House Tour in the Hill. Posly currently serves on the Lackawanna Historical Society's Board of Trustees. She enjoys everything that she learns while volunteering and working with, "a group of people who are passionate about what they do."

Ella S. Rayburn		Ella S. Rayburn is retired from the National Park Service where her most recent posting was curator at Steamtown National Historic Site from 1990 to 2004. She has been an active volunteer at the Society for over a decade, serving on the Board of Trustees as well as chairing the Collections Committee. As a volunteer, her major interest is in managing the collection, to oversee cataloging of all the objects owned by the society. Many volunteers help with bringing the collection under control and making it usable for researchers and for exhibiting. Ella also is on the board of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority. In her spare time, she is writing a history of her church, the Trinity Congregation Church. Ella was named Volunteer of the Year for 2007.

William Rinaldi, Esq.		Attorney William J. Rinaldi graduated from the University of Scranton in 1985 with a B.S. in Accounting and History, Temple University School of Law in 1988 with a Juris Doctor, and in 1991 a Master of Laws in Taxation. He was admitted as a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in 1988. He is also a member of the U.S. Tax Court, 1991, U.S. Claims Court, 1991, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern Tier of the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1992, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1998 . He is the owner of the Law Offices of William J. RInaldi and concentrates his practice on representing individuals and businesses in business matters, federal, state and local tax matters, real estate matters, financing, commercial litigation, defense litigation, loan workouts, bankruptcy, estate planning and business succession planning. He serves as a Part-tome Assistant District Attorney for Lackawanna County Pennsylvania and the Solicitor for the Borough of Old Forge, Pennsylvania. He is active in several charitable organizations as Director, Anthracite Heritage Museum and Furnace Associates, Scranton, PA., Director, Anthony J. Rinaldi, Jr. Foundation for Children with Cancer, Scranton, PA., Trustee, Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton, PA.

		Elaine is a realtor with Classic Properties and is very active as a volunteer throughout the community. She currently serves as Membership Committee chairperson and plays an active role in planning the Historic House Tour on the Hill and A Night at the Theatre.