President
Carla Smith
Carla Smith is a lifelong resident of Newfoundland and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2011, where she served as Vice President and currently serves as President. Carla Chairs the Fundraising Committee and the Publishing Committee. As Chair of the Technology Committee, she evaluates needs and brings recommendations to the Board concerning purchases of equipment and software. She assists with the Property Inventory Project, an ongoing effort to document the area’s historic homes and churches. She gives talks on local history, conducts workshops for WSES students during Local History Day tours, and writes articles for the Society’s newsletter, Echoes from the Greene Hills.
“I am a fifth generation resident of Greene Township, but my interest in genealogy and local history really peaked when I moved back into my childhood home. As a GDHS Board member I am able to help preserve this history for future generations of all families.” —Carla Smith
Vice-President
Ruth Altemier
Ruth Altemier resides in Greentown and has served on the Board of Directors since 2005, where she served as President and currently serves as Vice President. As Chair of the Genealogy & Cemeteries Committee, she oversees the Adopt-A-Cemetery Program, conducts genealogy workshops, and coordinates annual fundraising events for the Cemetery Preservation Fund. She manages the Property Inventory Project, an ongoing effort to document the area’s historic homes and churches. As a member of the Program Committee, she coordinates special events, such as local history bus tours. She is the co-author of a book on local cemeteries and has written articles on early settlers for the Society’s newsletter, Echoes from the Greene Hills.
“I believe in the saying ‘You won’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you came from.’ I find genealogy fascinating. It has led me to the preservation of the cemeteries, to honor those who led the way to where we are today. The world moves so fast that it is easy to not look around and appreciate our world. I feel the work that our GDHS members do is preserving the past for the future.” — Ruth Altemier
Secretary
Linda Kramer
Linda Kramer lives in Greentown and has served on the Board of Directors since 2014, holding the position of Recording Secretary since that time. As co-chair of the Refreshment Committee, Linda is responsible for planning and organizing the food and beverages served at programs and events. She coordinates the Society’s Adopt-A-Highway Program for Route 507 in Greentown, and assists with the Property Inventory Project, an ongoing effort to document the area’s historic homes and churches. She and her husband, Ed Kramer, participate in the Society’s Adopt-a-Cemetery Program and are responsible for the ongoing care, maintenance and preservation of historic Kipptown Cemetery. Linda transcribes interviews and oral histories for the Society’s Oral History Project.
“I enjoy volunteering and working with other individuals who have the same love of local history.” — Linda Kramer
Treasurer
Bernadine Lennon resides in Greentown and has served as Board Treasurer since 2008. Bernadine is Chair of the Finance Committee, the Program Committee, and manages the GDHS Veteran’s History Project. For the past several years she has planned and organized the Local History Seminar, as series of talks by historians on the history of the Pocono Mountain region. She is the former editor of the Society’s quarterly newsletter for 12 years. She has given numerous presentations on local history, some of which can be seen on the Society’s YouTube channel. She is the author of books and articles on local history and contributes regularly to the “Stories from the Past” section of the Society’s quarterly newsletter, Echoes From the Greene Hills.
“I enjoy discovering ‘old facts’ that have been forgotten over time and, through research and writing, increasing the community’s awareness of them. One example is the Burns & Cross Pottery, now under Lake Wallenpaupack—who knew we had a local pottery? If it wasn’t for a hawk flying past their window on November 29, 1880, the pottery’s history may have been lost forever!” — Bernadine Lennon
Directors
Roger Altemier
Roger has been active member since 2005. When the Historical Society acquired Peggy Bancroft Hall in 2006, Roger made improvements to the 100-year-old building, including making it more accessible. He oversaw the acquisition and placement of the outbuildings on the museum grounds, and he designed and supervised the construction of the adjacent Agricultural Exhibit Barn, which most recently included an expansion of the building. He currently serves as Co-chair of the Building and Grounds Committee. He is the museum docent for the barn, and in 2024 he designed and installed an exhibit on the history of F.A. Madden & Son. He also works on cemetery restoration, repairing and re-setting tombstones in the abandoned cemeteries that GDHS maintains. Roger is a lifelong resident of the area and has lived in Greene Township since 1980. He is a volunteer fireman for 49 years, a member of the Newfoundland Rotary for 33 years and has served on the Greene Township Planning Commission for more than 30 years.
Susan Arzamendi
Susan Arzamendi was born and raised in Newfoundland. Although college, marriage, and career took her to various Pennsylvania locations and to Vermont for 13 year, she loved returning home to visit her parents and read her mom’s copies of the Society’s quarterly journal, The Greene Hills of Home. Upon retiring in 2016, Susan and her husband moved back to the area and found a further connection with home through GDHS. Susan serves as Chair of the Membership Committee and brings to that position her skills in marketing, public relations, and office management. She manages the Society’s supply inventory and volunteers as a Greeter at all Society events. Susan serves as President of Greene-Dreher Alumni Association and is the Society’s liaison with that organization.
Wayne Garafola
Wayne Garafola resides in Newfoundland and has been a member of the Society since 2010 and a Director since 2022. Wayne serves as chair of the Building & Grounds Committee where he is responsible for assessing the condition of our facilities and ensuring they are maintained to preserve their long-term viability and historic character, including our meeting hall which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In this capacity, he oversees construction projects and the maintenance of the gardens and grounds. As a member of the Technology Committee, Wayne maintains equipment and handles the set up for meetings and programs. He serves as a museum docent for visitor tours and student field trips at Peggy Bancroft Hall.
“My wife and I moved here in 2002 and immediately became interested in the area’s history. The tanning and logging industries, the creation of Lake Wallenpaupack, the 1955 flood—we wanted to hear about it all! And GDHS is a great way to learn.” — Wayne Garafola
Susan Shaffer
Susan has been a member of the Historical Society since 2023. She has served as a volunteer for various fund raising activities, including the annual Plant Sale, and Pie Sale. Susan was born in Newfoundland and has been a lifelong resident of the area. During her 25-year career in workforce and economic development, she has worked extensively with area individuals and organizations that are part of the GDHS network.
Kathy Simmonds
Kathy has been a member of the Historical Society since 2017 and a resident of the community since 2016. Having a strong interest in local history wherever she has lived, Kathy was introduced to the Society by a friend and fellow member shortly after moving the area. She has served as a volunteer at the Open House in July, the annual Jam & Jelly Day in October, the GDHS booth at the GDS Fair, and for the bi-annual Road Cleanup.
Ron Rothrock
Ron resides at Lake Paupack in Greene Township and spends his winters in Florida. His lifelong interest in local history led him to join the Society in 2010. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 2023, where he serves on the Building & Grounds Committee and the Genealogy and Cemeteries Committee. He is an active member of several special projects, including Adopt-A-Highway, Adopt-A-Cemetery, and the Property Inventory Project.
“I became fascinated by the logging industry of the 1800s that sent logs from Promised Land and Lake Paupack down the East Branch to sawmills in Greentown and Wilsonville, and with the tannery at Ledgedale. It’s interesting to understand the changes this area has been through.” – Ron Rothrock
Suzanne Urton
Suzanne Urton resides in Salem Township and has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2019. As Chair of the Collections Committee, Suzanne serves as the Museum Curator responsible for implementing the Society’s collections policy. She catalogs artifacts and archival records in the museum database and guides volunteers in collections care, including the organization, preservation, storage and security of the items. Suzanne is responsible for the design and installation of displays that showcase our permanent collections and tell the story of our early settlement. She serves as a museum docent and leads tours for visitors of all ages, including student field trips. She has conducted workshops on dying wool with natural plants, wool spinning and weaving.