The Trustee Board members of the Westfield Historical Society are elected by the Membership at the Annual Meeting each year. Trustees of the Westfield Historical Society are volunteers entrusted with carrying out its mission. WHS Trustees meet monthly from September through June. The Executive Committee meets four times per year.
The 2023-2024 Trustee Board:
President - Brian Remite: Mr. Remite has worked in database mangagment and IT with the NJ Performing Arts Center; and the Plainfield Area and South Brunswick YWCA as IT Director. He was also a web developer for the NY Stock Exchange. Brian’s extensive volunteer work includes work as President of the Newark chapter of Extra Life - a non-profit organization that raises funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals which recently passed the $1 million raised mark for Children’s Specialized Hospital. He also spends many hours of IT work in the Westfield Historical Society Archives. Brian received his BS in Computer Science and an MBA in Marketing and holds a Date Scienc Boot Camp certification.
Vice President - Lowell Schantz: Lowell Schantz is a banking and financial services professional with an MBA in Financial Management from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom and a BA in Political Science from Monmouth University. He attained PMI PMP Certification in 2005 and achieved an Advanced Masters Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University in 2008. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Miller-Cory House Museum, trustee of the Westfield Historical Society where he also serves as Nominating Chair; and serves on the NJ Workshop for the Arts Advisory Board. Lowell has previously served as the Chairman of the NJ Workshop for the Arts, as well as director for the NJ Jazz Society, the Westfield Rotary Club board of Governors and the Westfield Rotary Foundation board. He has been a member of the Westfield Rotary Club since 2010.
Secretary - Carole Shaffer-Koros: Dr. Carole M. Shaffer-Koros serves as Luncheon Program Co-chair and Newsletter co-editor for the Westfield Historical Society. She is Professor Emerita of English/History from Kean University, where she taught for 46 hears. She holds a PhD and MA in Romance Language and Literature from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from Douglass College, Rutgers University. She has published on Edgar Allan Poe, Edith Wharton and a number of world writers. She serves on the Editorial Board of The Edgar Allan Poe Review. Carole is a Trustee on the Board of Bridgeway Rehabilitation, Treasurer of the Genealogical Society of the West Fields, Treasurer for 13 years of the International Poe Studies Association and served for 18 years as Board of Trustees member and Treasurer of the International Edith Wharton Society. She is currently the Archivist of that Society.
Treasurer - Barbara Burton: Dr. Barbara Burton spent her professional career in the online information industry working for The New York Times, Dun & Bradstreet and Dow Jones. She taught as an adjunct professor at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information. She served on theWHS Board of Trustees previously as well as on the Miller-Cory Board of Governors. Barbara has been active in the Westfield Presbyterian Church in various capacities and served as an Elder for six years. Beyond WHS, she has been a member of the Westfield Historic Preservation Commission, served as public relations chair for the Westfield Service League, served on the Board of Youth & Family Counseling Service, and is currently a Trustee of the Westfield Adult School. Dr. Burton was chair of the Westfield 300 Celebration and has published a book about Westfield entitled The Fates Were Favorably Inclined.
Assistant Treasurer - Deborah Bailey: Deborah Bailey is the Treasurer of the Miller-Cory House Museum. She has been volunteering at the museum since 1990 as a docent, showcase presenter and gift shop manager. She has previously served on the Board of Trustees of the Westfield Historical Society as the Liaison from the Miller-Cory House Museum and as Assistant Treasurer. Deborah also volunteers at Mobile Meals of Westfield and is the Treasurer of the Friends of the Westfield Memorial Library.
Gregory Blasi, R.A.: Gregory Blasi has served as a Trustee of the Westfield Historical Society since 2015. Educated at New Jersey Institute of Technology with a degree in architecture in 1995, Greg has been a partner or sole proprietor of his own architectural firm since 2004. His practice has placed a focus on traditional architecture, restoration and preservation, as well as religious work on new, additions, and alterations. Greg has been a member of the nominating, building and grounds, and preservation (Chair) committees for the Society. Since 2017 Greg has been providing architectural walking tours throughout Westfield for the Society and Addams Fest. He lectures on materiality and the building process and also provides virtual walking tours for the Westfield Historic Preservation Commission. Greg has volunteered in various Westfield youth athletic organizations, sponsored Boy Scout Eagle projects, and is currently both a member of the board and fund distribution committees of the Westfield United Fund. From 2018 thru 2020 Greg was a committee member of the Westfield Architectural Review Board and is currently a committee member of the Westfield Historical Preservation Committee.
Jacqueline Brevard: Jacquie serves as Chairperson of the Volunteers Committee and on the Nominating, Board Governance and By-Laws Committee. An attorney most recently working as a senior advisor with GEC Risk Advisory, LLC, Jacquie was also employed by Merck & Co., Inc. as Vice President Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. She is a Program Director for The Conference Board, a member of the Adjunct Faculty at New York University, and a Member of the Faculty at the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, specializing in innovative risk management techniques. She is an Ethisphere 2009 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics. Jacqueline also serves on the Westfield Historic Preservation Commission
Susan Feldman: Sue Feldman has been a Trustee of the Westfield Historical Society and the Miller-Cory House since 2022. She has lived in Westfield since 1979. With a BS in Occupational Therapy from Elizabethtown College, she worked as an Occupational Therapist for the Scotch Plains School District, before obtaining a MHRM from Rutgers University, and working in a Human Resources career for 22 years. She retired from her position as Executive Director of Human Resource Operations at a pharmaceutical company in 2019. Her volunteer experience includes Docent at the Miller-Cory House, Community Gardens Chair for Rake and Hoe Garden Club, People for Animals, Community Food Bank of NJ, as well as Treasurer of her Condominium Association and Community Karma, both in Asbury Park.
Will Goldberger:
Barbara Hale: Barbara has served on the Hall of Fame Committee for many years, and as co-chair in 2019 and chair in 2022. She is a NJ Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has served in oncology and palliative care. Serving over 25 years in direct service, program development, education and administration Barbara is currently in a Group Practice and has previously worked with the Rutgers Cancer Institute. Raised in Westfield, Barbara follows in the footsteps of her late father, Lee Hale, in her appreciation for Westfield History. She has also served on the Board for the Friends of the Westfield Library’s Hale Speakers’ Series.
Mary Konsolaki: Mary Konsolaki, PhD, has been a Trustee of the Society since 2014, currently serving as VP of Community Relations. She has overseen AppleFest for the WHS for 8 years. Mary has organized several other fundraising and cultural events for WHS.Originally from Athens, Greece, she moved to Westfield in 1998, from Princeton. M. Konsolaki serves on the board of College Women’s Club and has volunteered in many capacities in the Westfield public schools as editor of the Jefferson Elementary newsletter for 5 years, past fundraising chair for the High School hockey team and produced materials for the High School PaperMill competition submission, to name a few. She is actively involved in the Central Jersey Triathlon Club and the Hilltop Bicycle Club. A PhD student at Univ. of Crete and Harvard Univ. (MA), she was a Postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. Professionally, Dr. Konsolaki has been a research professor at Rutgers, producing peer-reviewed publications on Alzheimer’s disease. She is currently working as a Senior Lecturer in the Biology department of the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
James Lange: Attended Penn State University and Rutgers Engineering and Business. Worked for Carpenter Technology Corporation manufactured tubing and stainless steel, for feed water heaters and condensers for nuclear power plants. Manager of manufacturing for all products in pipe and tubing in stainless steel, titanium and other specialties. Expert in tube bending and processing specialty alloys. Retired from Carpenter and became partner in New York City manufacturing producing bathroom fixtures, grease filters and metal parts for thousands of customers . After 50 years in business, sold two buildings and both businesses in New York City, then retired. For 50 years, James’ hobby was building racing engines and cars for dirt track racing. In 2017, he was honored as volunteer of the year for Union County Libraries.
Beverly Mack: Beverly earned a Business Administration degree from Rutgers University, and was actively employed in the hotel and hospitality business for many years, most recently with Marriott. After leaving the corporate world, she entered the field of education. During her tenure as a middle school teacher, each summer she was provided the opportunity to formulate a program for low income students, where she focused on improving student retention through creative choices in learning. Beverly has been an active volunteer member of WECARE (Westfielders Concerned About Responsible Development), an organization formed to address residents' concerns about developers intent upon changing the character of our historic town.
Kenneth Mirsky: Dr. Ken Mirsky currently serves as Chair of the Board Governance Committee of the Westfield Historical Society. A graduate of Wesleyan University and the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, he is a diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology, and is retired as a clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Rutgers–New Jersey Medical School. Previously he was in private practice at JFK Medical Center in Edison, NJ and Muhlenberg Regional Health Center in Plainfield, NJ. Before retiring, he was awarded the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching by the NJMS anesthesiology residents. He and his wife, Andrea Silkowitz, both grew up in Union. They live and raised two children in Westfield. Dr. Mirsky spent a decade serving on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and is a past president of the New Jersey State Society of Anesthesiologists. He has volunteered on surgical missions to Ghana. He also acted in and wrote scripts for the PTA’s Washington School Show. Ken is a volunteer for Literacy NJ in Elizabeth as an English as a Second Language tutor.
Jeffrey Pate:
Elizabeth (Beth) Siano: Beth Siano has been a member of the Miller-Cory House Museum Board of Governors since 2017. She is on the Board of Trustees (2021-2023 president) of The Rake and Hoe Garden Club of Westfield, which provides assistance to community gardens including those at both Miller-Cory and Reeve House. She is also a member of College Woman’s Club of Westfield and serves on the Red Carpet Committee in support of Family and Children’s Services of Union County. Beth was Managing Director at Bank of New York Mellon where she headed corporate securities finance desks in New York, London and Hong Kong. As an executive committee member of the Risk Management Association, she chaired conferences in Europe and spoke frequently as a panel participant. She holds BS and MA degrees in English from Iowa State University where she is a member and past chair of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council.
Arlene Soong:
Sarah Warthen: Sarah has been a docent at the Miller-Cory House Museum since 2017, and has a professional background in archaeology.
Trustees Emeritus/a:
Stanley Lipson
Hassan (Sam) Mahmoud
Donald Mokrauer
Nancy Priest
Virginia Rorden
William Shepherd
Carol Tener
Staff: Carol Goggi, Executive Assistant, WHS
Nina Sylvester, Miller-Cory House Museum, Services Coordinator
