The Board of Trustees

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Lawrence P. Booth, President

Lawrence Booth has been a resident of New Hope since 1995, is currently the Director of the Delaware Valley Fire Museum, has served on the Board of the Free Library of New Hope and Solebury and the Friends of the Free Library of New Hope and Solebury. Lawrence has served the country proudly in the US Air Force and is currently working as a teacher serving disaffected high school students. He brings a wealth of knowledge, ability and enthusiasm to the Board.

 

Eleanor Miller, Founder and Vice-President

Accomplished Broadway actress Eleanor Miller found her home in Bucks County through an abiding love of the arts she shared with her husband, Shaun Marshall Miller, a Publisher/Artist and Son of R.A.D. Miller. He was the Grandson of Dr. George Morley Marshall, who brought William Lathrop to Phillips’ Mill, which lead to the founding of original The New Hope Art Colony. Eleanor still resides in the house in Phillips’ Mill Historic District, which originally served as Morgan Colt’s painting studio.

Eleanor was the director of the Theater at the Phillips’ Mill Community Association for over 40 years, directing, producing and performing in a multitude of various theatrical productions. She is a well-established alumni of The Bucks County Playhouse. Her most notable role was her portrayal of Abigail Adams in the production of 1776 with a NY cast. Eleanor has served the New Hope/Solebury communities in countless ways and, after 35 years in the business, is still gainfully employed at Kurfiss Sotheby’s International Real Estate. Specifically, Eleanor has been involved with historical landmark buildings, inns and early established farm properties..

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Stephen J. Burkard, Treasurer

Stephen J Burkard is the new Treasurer of the Foundation and is currently the founder and director of tax and financial services of Gulfstar Financial Advisors Inc, a professional tax and financial consulting firm. Steve attended St John’s University and after a period working for a Certified Public Accounting Firm, he followed up with a 5 year term as Corporate Controller and VP of a large publicly held corporation.  Afterword he founded Gulfstar which has just celebrated its 45th anniversary. Steve lives in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania and Gulfstar has offices in Princeton, Sarasota, and Charleston. Gulfstar has provided consulting and preparation of tax returns to numerous Not for Profit Organizations.  

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Valerie Patterson, Secretary and Marketing

With reverence for the historical assets of Solebury Township and Bucks County at large, Val Patterson brings a strong mix of marketing and communications skills to her NHCFA Board role. She worked as an editor at a not-for-profit, as a web site producer for The Wall Street Journal online edition and as a marketing director and sales associate for a local Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate. She fell in love with New Hope at the age of 9 in 1977, moved to Solebury in 1997 and still can’t believe she’s fortunate enough to call it her home. Off hours, Val enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, caring for her rescue spaniels and wondering what daily life was life for the earliest residents of her stone house.     

 

Joyce Towbin-Chasan, Gallerist and Curator

 

Elise Redfield, Artist Consultant

Elise M. Redfield is the great granddaughter of Edward W. Redfield. Elise is an artist in her own right. She began her studies at Moore College of Art and Design and went on to study at the Art Students League, New York Academy and Pennsylvania Academy of Art. She has exhibited in Philadelphia and New York. She is currently exhibiting locally. Her work is varied in subject matter and style.  Elise is a founding member of the New Hope Colony Foundation for the Arts.

 

Clifford Eberly, Exhibition Curator

Clifford Eberly is an artist and curator based in Doylestown. Currently, Eberly is the Exhibitions Associate at Bucks County Community College where he organizes and curates the exhibitions at Hicks Art Center Gallery. Serving on the Committee for Cultural Affairs at BCCC, Eberly and his colleagues plan events for students and the public in the Zlock Performing Arts Center and sites on the three college campuses. In 2021, Eberly was elected to the Board of Directors of the Arts and Cultural Council of Bucks County where he is now the Membership Chair. When not programming art exhibitions, volunteering and working in his studio, Clifford enjoys gardening, landscaping and cooking with his husband Tim and their beloved dog Jet.

 

Kurt Miller, Property Manager

 

Lynell Antonelli, Marketing

Lynell Antonelli is a Realtor specializing in antique properties. She contributes invaluable expertise, having personally restored six historic properties. She formerly had a distinguished broadcasting career at CBS Television in New York, as a Marketing Director delivering high revenue through innovative campaigns. Later as a freelance Writer and Director of tv programming, she continued to use her large project management skills and negotiation expertise. Lynell has created marketing/PR campaigns for local artists, is active in the Delaware Township Historical Society (NJ) and a former board member of Fox Chase Cancer Center-Bucks County Chapter. She resides in a 19th century converted barn.

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Beth Walker, Digital Media Officer

Beth Walker discovered New Hope in 1997 and quickly found herself involved in everything from the New Hope-Solebury School District’s Center Stage middle school theater program, Girl Scouts and religious education at St. Martin of Tours to volunteering with the New Hope-Eagle Fire Company. She brings to the Board considerable experience serving with non-profit organizations including the Megan Nicole Kanka Foundation (Megan’s Law), Opera at USC-University of S. Carolina School of Music and Artists For Africa USA, which provides free arts education programs to impoverished children in Kenya. Beth is an active member of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association and looks forward to working in harmony with both historic organizations.