Board of Trustees & Staff
2013 Board Members
Officers
President – Joseph Martin, Esq.
Born and raised in the area, Mr. Martin leads the Board of Trustees through a productive committee structure. He is a practicing attorney with a specialty in intellectual property law for the nationally recognized firm of Archer Greiner.
Vice President – Grove Conrad
Leaving the Air Force as a Captain after six years of service, Mr. Conrad spent the following 40 years in the ocean shipping business retiring as CEO of Norton Lilly International, the nations oldest and largest ship management agency. His family has been in Southern New Jersey for over six generations and he and his wife, Kathryn, have been “hands on” involved with a broad range of Seaport initiatives since 2002. The Conrad’s reside on the Mullica River in Lower Bank, NJ.
Secretary – Vacant
Tennant Magee – Treasurer
Mr. Magee is a resident of Little Egg Harbor with his wife, Bryn, and their two sons, Tennant, Jr., and Aidan. Professionally, Mr. Magee is Counsel at the law firm of Maggs & McDermott, LLC, which maintains offices in Brielle, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. He focuses his practice in the following areas of law: (i) civil and commercial litigation; (ii) appellate; (iii) business; (iv) international; (v) government; and (vi) family. He is a former Assist. Attorney General for State of Maryland, former Assist. State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, and former Judicial Clerk to Hon. John E. Keefe, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division. He is licensed to practice law in Maryland, New Jersey, the U.S. District Courts for New Jersey, Maryland, and D.C., the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, and D.C. Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Relating to the non-profit world, Mr. Magee has previously served on various marketing, fundraising, alumni, and leadership committees for Moravian College located in Bethlehem, P.A. Mr. Magee is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law (J.D. 2000), Lehigh University (M.A. 1998), and Moravian College (B.A. 1996).
Trustees
James W. Allen
Joining the Board in 1997, Mr. Allen served as Vice President for five years (1998-2003). He currently participates in the Membership and Planning Committees and has oversight of the Seaport’s extensive decoy collection. He is a District Manager for Conectiv, a regional utility provider, and an avid decoy collector. Mr. Allen was also an associate at the well-regarded auction house of Guyette & Schmidt, which specializes in decoy sales and appraisals.
Jeff Daum
Mr. Daum is the managing partner of Nelke, Constantine and Associates, a Civil Engineering and Land Surveying firm located in Tuckerton, NJ, specializing in Land Use and Structural Engineering. He has been a trustee continuously since 1991, having served on many committees. He was instrumental in the original design and planning of the Seaport. His interests include fishing, hunting, golf, and local history.
Jim Hutchinson
Jim Hutchinson, Jr. is managing director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), a national, grassroots political action organization based in nearby New Gretna that represents saltwater anglers and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. Prior to joining RFA full-time in 2009, Hutch had been the executive editor of The Fisherman weekly magazine and managing editor of the New Jersey Boaters Digest monthly magazine since 2002. After graduating from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania in 1990, he went to work at WOBM radio in Bayville, NJ where he worked until 1997 in the marketing and promotions department.
A lifelong hunter and angler, Jim’s father is a longtime outdoor columnist for the Beacon/Beach Haven Times and 2002 Hurley Conklin Award Winner, while his grandfather James Becotte was an Ocean City, NJ captain who ran boats for Post Yachts in nearby Mays Landing. Jim Jr. now lives in Forest Hills, NY with his wife and two children, where he is President of the New York Sportfishing Federation. He now travels extensively between Little Egg Harbor and Long Island and is involved in a number of coalition groups which support angling interests in both New York and New Jersey, including the Partnership of Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Science (PMAFS) and the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium’s Stakeholder’s Advisory Board.
Wayne Martin
Upon his retirement in 2006, Wayne Martin became a resident of Mystic Island. Because his wife was born and raised in Beach Haven, he has been interested in and a frequent visitor to the area for close to fifty years. A graduate of Lehigh University, Mr. Martin was employed in the field of real estate management, both at the property and asset management levels, for over forty years. He is a Coast Guard veteran who served on the Coast Guard cutter Unimak out of Cape May. He also served a tour of duty in Viet Nam.
Since 2006, he has been an active volunteer at the Seaport. Among his accomplishments are the nine hole miniature golf course, the camera display in the lighthouse, the Gluhwein stand used for several Seaport events, the Christmas pyramid, and the pirate ship/holiday sleigh pushcarts. Mr. Martin in on the Grounds and Maintenance Committee and the Fundraising Committee.
Sharon I. McKenna
Ms. McKenna is the Executive Director of the Jersey Shore Anglers Association. She is the past Deputy Director of the Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. She is a member of the Events and Membership Committees.
Charles Merton
A resident of Little Egg Harbor, Mr. Merton originally joined the Board in 2005. His background involves insurance, having worked for Chubb & Son for 29 years. He has taken on the responsibility for overseeing the insurance program at the Seaport and assists with the grounds and maintenance weekly.
Jack Raskin
Mr. Raskin became a member of the Board in 2002 and serves on the Fundraising and Finance committees. He owns a Management and Financial Services Company, which is located in Manahawkin, NJ. He is a twenty eight year resident of Manahawkin and also has a home in Jamesburg, NJ.
Dorothy Gehman
Mrs. Gehman studied Business at Penn State and Cedar Crest College. She is an active Community Volunteer. The last ten years include involvement with the following organizations: Habitat for Humanity of Southern Ocean County, Family Promise Program (a faith based <> to temporarily homeless families), Tuckerton Seaport a Project of the Barnegat Bay Decoy & Baymen’s Museum. Most recently Dorothy has become an advocate through southern Ocean Resources Center for persons needing assistance for funds to rebuilding Hurricane Sandy.
Oliver S. Walling III, CPA
Oliver graduated from Stetson University in 1971 and received his accounting education from Rider College. In 1994 he received the “Certificate of Educational Achievement in Governmental Accounting and Auditing” from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A native of Toms River, Oliver has been working locally as an accountant since 1978. His area of expertise is as an accountant and consultant for nonprofits and fire districts. Oliver is the president of Dottie’s House, Inc. and the treasurer of Friends of Dottie’s House, Inc. He is also on the Boards of Directors of Homes Now, Inc., Childhood Leukemia, Inc., and Homes for All, Inc., as well as counsel to the Board of Directors of Toms River Seaport Society. Oliver is a former commodore of the Beachwood Yacht Club. Oliver was a recipient of the Asbury Park Press 2005 Readers’ Choice Award as “One of the Best Accountants in Ocean County.”
Key Staff Biographies
Paul Hart, Director of Tuckerton Seaport
Paul Hart joined the Seaport as Deputy Director in July 2007 bringing with him valuable experience in education, history and the arts. In 2009 he became the Executive Director of the Seaport. Mr. Hart has earned his B.A. and Masters Degrees from MontclairCollege. He was an educator, supervisor and principal in the public school system. He was also a Clinical Instructor at KeanUniversity. He is currently an adjunct instructor at BrookdaleCommunity College. Paul was the leader in securing a $10,000 grant from the NEH for the establishment of a HistoryMuseumat The William R Satz School. The grant funded the creation of “The Decades Museum” which changes its exhibits monthly to match the Social Studies curriculum. Paul has served on several boards including the Monmouth County Arts Council Education Committee and the Holmdel Theater Company. He has also been the Collections Manager for the Stafford Township Historical Society for ten years.
Timothy Hart, Esq. Deputy Director/Business Manager
Timothy Hart was named Executive Director of Tuckerton Seaport in December 2006 and as of 2009 became the Deputy Director. Mr. Hart is currently serving as the Director of the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Additionally he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Ocean County Historical Society, and the Ocean County Roundtable of the Revolution. In addition to being Director of the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Mr. Hart is also president of the Stafford Township Historical Society, where he has been involved with all facets of preserving and interpreting the history of the town. Over the years, he has made a number of contributions to the town of Tuckertonand its preservation of history. He worked on preserving a number of historical sites such as the Manahawkin Train Station and the OldManahawkinBaptistChurch. Mr. Hart has also aided in the organization of events such as the Battle of Cedar Bridge Reenactment and Founders Day. He also helped to organize the Historical Society as a nonprofit. He has served on public school boards for 24 years and All Saints Regional Catholic School board for 8 years. In addition, he owns and operates Hart Electric, an electrical contracting business. Mr. Hart also holds a law degree from RutgersUniversityand earned his bachelors degree from GeorgetownUniversityin Washington, D.C.A native of Southern Ocean County, Mr. Hart was born and raised in Stafford, where he resides today.
Jaclyn Stewart Wood, Director of the Jersey Shore Folklife Center at Tuckerton Seaport
Joining the organization’s staff in March 2006, Ms. Stewart was previously Ships’ Programs Coordinator and then Education Manager for IndependenceSeaportMuseumin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At Tuckerton Seaport, she serves as Director of the JerseyShoreFolklifeCenter. She is responsible for the research, development and presentation of the Seaport’s folklife programs on the diverse communities and traditions of the JerseyShoreand Pinelands. In addition to coordinating the Seaport’s folklife demonstrators and assisting with the development of events and exhibits, Ms. Stewart also runs the Jersey Traditions outreach program, which brings local tradition bearers into schools to share their art with students.
Ms. Stewart has been involved with the New Jersey Folk Festival since 1999 and has served on their Board of Trustees since 2005. Ms. Stewart has a Masters in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, where she won the Thesis Award for her thesis “‘Carving Away Whatever Wasn’t Duck’: The Life and Work of Decoy Carver Gary Giberson.”
Renee Kennedy, Events and Public Relations Coordinator
Renee Kennedy was appointed to the position of Events and Public Relations Director in January of 2007. She brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge to the Tuckerton Seaport. Since 1989, Renee has owned and operated Currents Marketing and Communications, which caters to Southern Ocean County tourism related businesses. Prior to this, Renee was the Advertising Director for Times-Beacon Newspapers, a position she held for 14 years. In addition to her full-time positions, Renee has also been involved with the marketing and advertising of various tourism related events in the area, including the Atlantic City Golf & Tennis Expo, the PaddleSport Expo Program, World Masters Dog Sport Tournament and the Ocean County Decoy & Gunning Show. Previously the president of the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, Renee is currently a member of the Ocean County Tourism Council, Chowderfest Committee, Meadowedge Park and the Historic Preservation Committees both in Barnegat. Renee’s Barnegat roots are deep as she is a lifelong resident and her mother, Mary Catherine Kennedy, is the town’s Historian. Renee was also instrumental in the development of the Seaport, developing the Seaport logo and initial brochures.
Brooke Salvanto, Developement Director
Brooke Ashley Lynn Salvanto is the newest acquisition of the Tuckerton Seaport & Baymen’s Museum, having joined the staff full-time in April of 2011. Brooke serves as the Development Director and Business Manager of the organization. Her responsibilities include fundraising, grants management, bookkeeping, and acting as a community liaison and good will ambassador for the Seaport. Brooke arrived at the Seaport armed with a Master’s Degree from Monmouth University in American History as well as experience at other education venues, such as the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. With feet firmly planted in the sand of the Jersey Shore, Brooke is a lifelong resident of South Jersey. Prior to her Seaport employment, Brooke worked as the Development Director at Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven where she doubled the special event income in her first year and was responsible for managing over $500,000 in contributed income annually. Brooke also brings with her volunteer experience fundraising for nonprofit organizations as she raised funds to support the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure and the American Heart Association. Currently, Brooke serves on Tuckerton’s Pride & Celebration Committee and the Pinelands Fourth of July Committee, as well as represents Tuckerton Seaport at the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce.
Regina Pistilli Operations Manager
Regina Pistilliwas appointed to the position of Volunteer Manager in April 2006 and promoted to Operations Manager in 2009. A native New Yorker, Ms. Pistilli moved to theSouthern New Jerseyarea in July 2004. She brings with her over twenty years experience in Human Resource Management. She has been involved in the Greater New York area as a Director of Public Relations/Marketing and Docents and Volunteers with the Staten Island Zoo, an eight-acre living museum and oversaw the planning, development and implementation of the Docent program. She established liaisons with local and national TV stations to highlight the Zoo and its programs and was in the forefront of establishing the Zoo’s highly publicized events and programs. Ms. Pistilli was also the Director of Volunteer Services forStaten IslandUniversityHospital, a 600-bed multi-site teaching hospital system where she planned, organized and directed activities of over 1600 volunteers located in the hospitals, plus the outpatient clinics and satellite buildings. Ms. Pistilli attended theCollegeofStaten Island,Staten Island,New York. She was past President of SINOVA and founded the first Staten Island Volunteer Recognition Day. She has been Secretary for the Greater New York Association for Directors of Volunteer Services, was a recipient of two United Hospital Fund Grant Awards for Innovative Volunteer Programs, received the New York City Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Programs and has also received numerousNew York City“Partner in Education” Awards. She was personally recognized by theNew YorkSchoolfor the Deaf as a recipient of their “Extra Mile Award.” She has been a past member of the Staten Island Chapters of the Soroptomists, the Business and Professional Women’s Organization and was a member of the board of the AIDS Task Force, Staten Island Chapter.
Ron Spodofora, Boat Builder
Ron Spodofora joined the crew at Tuckerton Seaport in 2008 after having worked closely with Gus Heinrichs in the Boatworks for countless hours. Ron has elevated the programming offered on traditional boat building and made it one of the main draws of the Seaport. Ron works to keep the traditions of the Barnegat Bay alive through onsite and offsite outreach programs. Previously, Ron spent a thirty-five year career at Six Flag Great Adventure where he began as Journeyman Carpenter and ascended to Maintenance Supervisor. Ron oversaw the wooden rollercoaster division. He brought that experience as well as the experience of running a family business specializing in custom millwork to Tuckerton Seaport. Ron enjoys passing the traditions of the Barnegat Bay on to our young visitors. Ron’s family’s South Jersey roots date back to 1957. In his free time, Ron’s favorite hobby is sculpting and his work can be seen at the St. Mary’s Church Garden in Barnegat.
Charlene Ackerman, Gift Shop Manager
Charlene Ackerman began working at Tuckerton Seaport in 2007. She worked in the Welcome Center as an assistant and was recently promoted to Gift Shop Manager. Charlene has lived in Little Egg Harbor since 1985 with her husband Bob. Charlene gained her retail experience from 1989 to 2006 when she owned and operated Clamtowne Crafts right here in “Clamtown”. Charlene brings not only experience, but a love of Tuckerton’s small town charm.
Nicholas Wood, Folklife Program Coordinator
Mr. Wood joined the Tuckerton Seaport staff in the fall of 2010 as the Folklife Program Coordinator. He is responsible for assisting with the day-to-day running of the Folklife Center and Tuckerton Seaport as well as collections and technological concerns that arise. A graduate of the Cooperstown Graduate Program and an alumnus of the Maine Folklife Center at the University of Maine, Mr. Wood brings a broad range of skills across collections, folklore, and IT support to the institution. Mr. Wood has also serves as the Vice President of the New Jersey Association of Museums.
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