John Marsh Historic Trust Welcomes Three New Board Members

The John Marsh Historic Trust recently welcomed Carissa Pillow, Ken Young, and Charleen Earley to its Board recently. Knowing both Ms. Pillow and Ms. Earley, these are solid choices and high energy picks that will help the Historical Trust reach their goals.

Charleen Earley, an Oakley resident, is publisher of Delta Living Magazine, a comedienne, and journalism teacher at Deer Valley High School. She is currently the Trust’s Editor-in-Chief of our bi-annual newsletter. Having gotten to know Earley the past few months, she will really help this board with their communication and outreach which should improving fundraising efforts.

Carissa Pillow is a Brentwood resident, mother and registered nurse. She is very active in making Brentwood a great community, serving as a member of Rotary Club, the Brentwood Arts Commission and was recently appointed to the citizens committee for the General Plan Update. We welcome Carissa’s drive and enthusiasm. I would also like to add that Pillow ran a solid campaign for the Brentwood City Council and shows real promise going forward.

Ken Young is retired from the Lawrence Livermore National Lab and currently resides with his lovely wife in Summerset in Brentwood. The Youngs have generously donated beautiful Victorian era furniture to the John Marsh Historic Trust.

The three will join the current board which consist President Gene Metz, AIA, Chair Alexandra Ghiozzi, Vice President Kathy Leighton, Treasurer Steve Torgeson, Secretary Miranda Harmon-Smith, Ted Alesna, and non-board member Volunteer Ambassador Shirley Diethelm

Here is the full Press Release from February 24, 2013

Built in 1856, the John Marsh House is an architectural treasure of immense historical importance! It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and was designated one of “Save America’s Treasures” in 1998.  Today, the members of the John Marsh Historic Trust are working diligently to continue the restoration, preservation, and ultimately opening of this beautiful landmark of history.  We are excited to announce that representatives from California State Parks and the California Cultural and Historic Endowment will meet and tour the house next week.

The current John Marsh Historic Trust board members include President Gene Metz, AIA, Chair Alexandra Ghiozzi, Vice President Kathy Leighton, Treasurer Steve Torgeson, Secretary Miranda Harmon-Smith, Ted Alesna, and non-board member Volunteer Ambassador Shirley Diethelm.

The John Marsh Historic Trust recently welcomed three new board members to its team.

Carissa Pillow is a Brentwood resident, mother and registered nurse. She is very active in making Brentwood a great community, serving as a member of Rotary Club, the Brentwood Arts Commission and was recently appointed to the citizens committee for the General Plan Update. We welcome Carissa’s drive and enthusiasm.

Ken Young is retired from the Lawrence Livermore National Lab and currently resides with his lovely wife in Summerset in Brentwood. The Youngs have generously donated beautiful Victorian era furniture to the John Marsh Historic Trust.

Charleen Earley, an Oakley resident, is publisher of Delta Living Magazine, a comedienne, and journalism teacher at Deer Valley High School. She is currently the Trust’s Editor-in-Chief of our bi-annual newsletter. She brings to the Trust the sense of humor we need to keep our motivation going.

Construction to stabilize the house for good will begin Spring, 2013, thanks to the grant from California Cultural and Historical Endowment, California State Parks and the City of Brentwood. A unique system of spray foam and steel studs passed testing late last year and will be used to shore up the walls. This work will start the important process of keeping the house safe from earthquakes, storms and general deterioration. Significant funds need to be raised to complete a list of additional work.

This year, attractive fundraising events will take place in order to continue our construction and restoration efforts. We are using social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, blogs, etc.) and crowd funding (Kickstarter, Razoo), in addition to our newsletter, to get the word out to Contra Costa County and beyond. Look for more information to come on all our upcoming events and our Annual Gala on our website at www.johnmarshhouse.com and on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jmtrust.

Looking beyond 2013, our main goal is to garner support to open the new Marsh Creek State Park to the public, allowing for 3900 acres of hiking, camping, equestrian and outdoor space for all to enjoy. The park and property will also be used for education, tours and cultural and entertainment events.  The park is home to some of the most significant archaeological findings in California, dating back 7,000 years.  Archaeologists worldwide are now paying attention to this site, right in our own backyard.   Your monetary donation will help us achieve our goals. This home and state park is ours ~ let’s work together to bring the past to present.