Founded in 1973, the Trenton Museum Society oversees the only museum devoted to New Jersey’s capital city. The Museum Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation that holds in trust, maintains and seeks to display and increase public access to its large and important collection of historical objects, works of art, books and other documents pertaining to the industrial, cultural, political and civic history of Trenton, from its founding to the present. Under an agreement with the City of Trenton, the Museum Society collection is housed in the grand Ellarslie Mansion, built in 1848 and located on the grounds of Trenton’s historic Cadwalader Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Ellarslie Mansion, also called the Trenton City Museum, is open to the public, which can view selections from the museum society’s peerless collection, including ceramics created by Trenton’s famous 19th and 20th century pottery industry, historical and cultural artifacts, and work by artists of the region.
The Trenton Museum Society supports and showcases the work of contemporary visual artists and musicians from the greater Trenton area, and uses its collections and resources to foster an understanding of Trenton history and instill an grow interest in the creative arts among Trenton’s students.
The ongoing programs and current collection of the Trenton Museum Society are managed by a volunteer Board of Trustees — a group of committed individuals from the Trenton area with professional backgrounds spanning the worlds of business and the arts, as well as both the public and private sectors, whose mission is also to secure outside funding in order to conserve and augment Museum Society holdings and increase public knowledge of, access to and interest in them.
2023-24 Board of Trustees
President – Joan Perkes
First Vice President – Deniece Johnson
Second Vice President – Patricia Allen
Treasurer – Chuck Lorimer
Recording Secretary – Jean Shaddow
Corresponding Secretary – Deborah Gorczycki
David Bosted
Kaye Collins
Karl Flesch
Carol Hill
Beverly Keese-Kelley
Linda McRae
Jane Malloy
Michael Newman
Deborah Oliver
Janis Purcell
Sarah Unger
Trenton City Museum
Mission: Through its exhibits, collections, educational programs and community activities, the Trenton City Museum preserves and promotes the diverse history, art, and culture of Trenton and the greater Trenton area for the benefit of the Trenton community and visitors.
Vision: The Trenton City Museum is a model museum working to keep the arts, culture, and history of the community alive and relevant and, as a result, helps redefine the perception of the city of Trenton. We will attain our vision by being financially sustainable, effectively governed, diverse and collaborative. Revised February 2017
The Trenton Museum Society is a member of:
- The American Alliance of Museums
- The League of Historical Societies of New Jersey
- North American Reciprocal Museum Association
- Potteries of Trenton Society
- The Tri-State Coalition of Historic Places
Board of Trustees
Second Vice President PATRICIA ALLEN is a retired Registered Nurse with over 50 years of experience in various health care fields. She graduated from Helene Fuld School of Nursing and MCCC with an Associate Degree. Her career growth expanded over the years to management as a coordinator supervisor of Home Health Aides at Life St. Francis. She is a Past Matron of Eastern Star, Princess Leah Chapter No. 23 PHA , a Community Gospel Choir and is currently an active member of the Helping Hands Ministry of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. They assist in the needs of the homeless throughout the city of Trenton and vicinity. She has held positions such as Committee Chairperson, President and Liaison in the various organizations she serves. She possesses a passion for history, especially as it pertains to Trenton.
DAVID BOSTED, serving his third term on the Trenton Museum Society Board, is a retired government attorney. He served as a New Jersey Deputy Attorney General, handling environmental regulations and litigation and also did legal work at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Trenton, NJ, and the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Working abroad, he was sent by the U.S. Dept. of State to Ukraine to advise Ukraine on the transition to a mixed economy, after the fall of communism in the Soviet Union. Also, he served as Assistant Attorney General (and Acting AG) for the nation of Micronesia-FSM, 1993-95. In the area of education, David drafted the FSM national law of education. He co-founded in 1997 the International Charter School of Trenton and continues as a volunteer. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Public Charter School Association from 2004 to 2006. He has published over 30 articles on education and school governance. Before retiring in 2014, he was elected President of the American Association of State Policy Services, and hosted the annual AASPS national convention in Atlantic City. In Trenton, David served on the Trenton City Zoning Board for twelve years (both as a member and as Board President) and served four terms as President of the Island Civic Association. David has degrees from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD), Phi Beta Kappa, Class of ’70, Rutgers Law School, JD ’74, and Rutgers Graduate School of Policy and Planning, New Brunswick, NJ, Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP), ’74. He has taught at Ramapo State College, Montclair State University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Thomas Edison State College, and The College of New Jersey, and has invariably been highly rated by students in anonymous surveys of students. At Ellarslie, David has been curator or co-curator of several exhibits: Celebrated African Textiles, Before There Was Trenton, Ties That Bind: The Aprons of Trenton, The Essential Paul Robeson, and Stanglware: Trenton’s Most Painterly Pottery. David’s current interests are the 24 Cannons at Trenton, Windsor Chairs, and James Monroe.
KAYE COLLINS recently retired following a long career with Bristol-Myers Squibb as an executive assistant to Vice Presidents and other executives in R&D. Prior to that she had a career in hospitality as a pastry chef, sous chef, and Starbucks coffee shop manager. Her experience with project management and administrative services has helped prepare her for the work she is doing with the Trenton Museum Society. As a co-chair of the Hospitality Committee, Kaye creates and oversees the thematic and culinary offerings at receptions and special events. She has helped
manage the Museum’s call for volunteers, and currently heads the Museum’s Garden Club. She is also an active member of the Exhibitions and Collections Committee and the Events Committee.
KARL J. FLESCH graduated from Villanova University with a degree in math. He retired from the State of New Jersey as an IT manager. He currently works as a part time medical office manager for a practice in the Penn Health Princeton Medicine system. His interests lie in Trenton history and art. When he retired he wanted to help promote Trenton by mainly joining the boards of the Trenton City Museum and Trenton Historical Society. At the museum he recently curated exhibits such as In the Beginning and on Trenton’s Junior No. 1, Cadwalader Park, Trenton Olympians, and Trenton’s Trolleys. He has co-curated other historical exhibits, including two on Trenton Central High School, which holds a special interest to him. Also on the board of the Trenton Historical Society, Karl is the creator of that organization’s annual Trenton Calendar, a fundraiser for the society. An avid photographer, he was selected to exhibit a photo in Penn Medicine’s juried show, Celebration of Art and Life 2018.
Corresponding Secretary DEBORAH GORCZYCKI, has, in previous employed and volunteer positions, scheduled staff, initiated discipline, and developed policies utilizing best practices for a 500 bed public psychiatric hospital and a 30 bed private geriatric psychiatric facility. Duties included implementing best current practices within budgetary considerations, continuously ensuring efficient and safe staffing levels, and maintaining state and national accreditation departmentally and hospital-wide. In addition to serving as Recording Secretary on the Executive Committee, Debbie is involved with the Exhibitions and Collections Committee, co-chairs the Store Committee, and has, for the last three years, co-coordinated the annual Ellarslie Open juried exhibition. Debbie served on the Pennington First Aid Squad for some 15 years, including as Vice President, Infection Disease Officer, training officer for the squad, and member of Pennington First Aid’s Training Center. Debbie is an EMT and EMT Instructor, and she has served as a member of the Pennington Board of Health, through which she assisted in developing Healthy Living initiatives in Pennington Borough. Initiatives included the smoking ban in the Borough’s outdoor parks. Debbie appreciates the opportunity to work with fellow leaders to plan and create successful events and activities that help sustain the museum as a vital part of the Trenton Community.
CAROL HILL has lived in the Mercer/Bucks area most of her life, and now lives in Bordentown, NJ. Her formal art training began at Trenton Junior College and Pratt Institute. She received a degree in art education at The College of New Jersey. She was an art teacher for years and later established an advertising and public relations firm in the greater Trenton area. She retired as designer/sales for a local printing company. A trustee with a local historical society, she has served nearly a dozen terms as president, developing programs and assessing archives. Her fond memories of childhood visits to Cadwalader Park were later reconnected with the establishment of Trenton City Museum in Ellarslie Mansion, located in the park. As a trustee across more than twenty years, Carol has served as chair of the Exhibitions, Store, Collections, Garden, and Events committees as well as participating in most exhibits and events. She was co-chair of the annual Ellarslie Open for many years, and is known to many as the “where is…?” person at the museum.
First Vice-President DENIECE N. JOHNSON has extensive experience and knowledge of legal/law-related topics and social work/human services principles, working in various areas of mental health, financial assistance, child protection, and developmental disabilities. She earned her MPA from Rutgers Newark and her MA in Human Services Administration from Rider University. She has been with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families for more than twenty years and is a Supervising Program Support Specialist I. In addition to her duties as First Vice-President on the Executive Committee of Trenton Museum Society, Deniece co-chairs the Events Committee, and has been involved as a member of the Ellarslie Open committee. She is highly involved with the Trenton community as a member of the Board of Trustees of both the Trenton Board of Education and the Trenton Free Public Library.
BEVERLY KEESE-KELLEY, born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, graduated from Trenton Central High School. While studying at Mercer County Community College Beverly accepted full-time employment at the Mercer County Judiciary from which she recently retired after 36 years. Beverly became an artist at an early age under the tutelage of her mother who was also an artist. A natural part of being an artist in a small community like Trenton is volunteering for local non-profit organizations. Since the age of 19 Beverly has sold her art and volunteered her artistic talents. Being accepted on the Trenton Museum Society board and chairing the Education Committee have been highlights of her involvement in the community. The Education Committee serves the community monthly with family friendly educational art activities.
Treasurer CHUCK LORIMER, who specializes in the entertainment and film industry, has been associated with the firm Zimmerman & Lorimer, LLC, since 1972. He received his BS in accounting from The Pennsylvania State University. His experience is varied and includes staff accountant at a Princeton CPA firm, financial administrator of a large non-profit organization, controller of a $25 million new car agency, and treasurer and member of the board of directors of a corporation that owned businesses in retail sales, real estate, and securities trading. In 1988 he became a full time employee of the firm to pursue a career as a CPA. In 2002 he became a partner at Zimmerman & Lorimer, CPA. He developed the accounting section of the International TV Association’s “It’s a Business First…and a Creative Outlet Second” and is asked to lecture on accounting and finance in the entertainment industry. He has been on the Board of Directors for the International Pageant Association, the World Association of Talent, Modeling and Entertainment, PIFVA (Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association), and The Trenton Museum Society and is currently on the Board of Directors for Worldstars International, Worldstars USA and The Old Time Radio Foundation. He is co-producer for the annual World Championship of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. For 15 years he was the managing director for a community summer theater group and he has produced plays in central New Jersey, including one of his productions that he took to Off-Broadway in New York City. He was recently nominated to Who’s Who in America. His clients are varied in entertainment and small business and are in many areas of the country including Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles. His clients include producers, directors, production companies and other award winning media/entertainment entities well as small business owners.
JANE MALLOY is a Trenton native and is happy to still reside in the capital. She is a graduate of New York University and currently works in New York City as a Foreign Affairs Analyst. Jane heads up Trenton City Museum’s monthly Freedom Fridays Spoken Word & Open Mic, co-juried and co-curated the museum’s 2023 exhibition NEXT, and earlier exhibitions If These Quilts Could Talk and Stand Up Men. Jane has been a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and currently works with Trenton Reads a community-based organization that meets weekly to encourage and support reading activities for children in grades K-8. Jane has also been an active volunteer with Exercise, Eat Always Together (EEAT, Inc.) a community-based organization that addresses obesity and overweight in children and adolescents.
LINDA MCRAE graduated from Ashford University with a B.A. in Organizational Management. She is a retiree of New Jersey Manufacturer Insurance Co. Currently under contract with the Trenton Board of Education working with Special Education students’ grades K-12. She has over 25+ years as a volunteer for the Urban League Guild an auxiliary of the National Urban League , connecting the League to its communities, through raising funds that allow the League to deliver programs that pave the path to secure economic and self-reliance to underserved urban residents. She has held numerous positions such as President, Committee Chairperson and Liaison. She has served as a volunteer for 15+ years with Passage Theatre and Art Works” Art All Night”. She is a member of the St Paul AME Zion Church where she is President of the Lay Council. Developing strong relationships is the foundation of everything she does both professional and personally.
MICHAEL A. NEWMAN, Optometric Physician, attended Lehigh University and graduated from The New England College of Optometry with a B.S and an O.D. He served as a captain in the United States Air Force. From 1969 to 2020 he was in private specialty practice limited to contact lenses, laser refractive procedures, and low vision. At the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, he was an Assistant Professor of Clinical Optometry, contact lens service, adjunct faculty. He served as clinical investigator for various pharmaceuticals and contact lenses companies. He was also affiliated with TLC Laser Surgical Center. Michael’s community activities include Trenton Roebling
Community Development Committee, Invention Factory [science & technology center] and Trustee of The Trenton Museum Society, for which he chairs the Membership committee and is active on the Events and other committees.
TMS President JOAN PERKES, a Philadelphia native, moved to Bucks County, PA, in 1969. She received a BA from Temple University and spent time studying in Rome. Her professional career has been focused on the visual arts. As Joan Perkes Fine Art she has been independent and self-employed for her entire career, opening her first gallery in 1968 in Philadelphia and a satellite gallery in New Hope in 1969. Her first curatorial work was in the late 1970s working with the Fred Clark Museum. Since then she has curated and/or orchestrated over 50 exhibitions, including exhibiting at Art Fairs. Her oeuvre includes career development for artists, gallerist, corporate and private collection development, art tour planning and appraisal work. In 2013 she joined TMS as a curator/volunteer and since her arrival she has been responsible for at least ten exhibitions, the most recent of which was Music to My Eyes, and regularly lends her design skills to the creation of promotional materials. As a member of the TMS board since 2015, she became its president in 2017. She also co-chairs the Art Exhibition, Development, and Education Committees. She is serving her third term as a Trustee on the Board of the Trenton Museum Society. In 2010, she was selected by Herman Silverman, founder of the Michener Museum, to guide his new art venture, the Silverman Gallery in Buckingham, PA. In the early 1980s, along with Joanne Katsiff and AnnMarie Torres, she founded The Community School of New Hope-Solebury. It continues today as a part of Bucks County Community College. Joan’s experience in the art world is both national and international. Currently, she makes her home in Solebury Township, PA, and maintains a residence in Andalusia, Spain.
JANIS PURCELL worked for American Airlines for nine years when the company consolidated several office locations and offered her a position in Texas. She declined the offer and instead entered Brooklyn College, from which she received her BFA and MFA in Sculpture. Later she became an Adjunct Instructor for the Art Department at Mercer County Community College and held several art-related positions, including head designer with the commercial art and framing company Art Wholesalers, LTD. Following her retirement from Art Wholesalers, she concentrated solely on making, exhibiting, and teaching art. She has exhibited at several venues in New Jersey and New York. She was reviewed by Janet Purcell and Dan Aubrey for major publications, and appeared in calendars and catalogs. She has received over numerous special awards for her art from First Runner Up, Juror’s Award, 1st Place, Best in Show and most recently the President’s Award at Ellarslie Open 39. While exhibiting she began volunteering at Trenton City Museum. Now on the Board of Trustees she heads the Education Committee and works on the Hospitality and Exhibitions committees. She conceived of and curated Trenton City Museum’s 2024 show Space & Clutter.
Recording Secretary JEAN SHADDOW attended Cook College of Rutgers University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management. A lifelong area resident, she was the Director of Trenton’s Division of Natural Resources for close to twenty years and was responsible for all park and recreation areas and all trees on public lands. After retiring from public service in 2011, she began working at Isles, Inc. where she has served as a Grant Manager for their Youth Institute and, currently, is a Senior Project Manager for Community Planning & Development. Jean is currently serving her third term on the Trenton Museum Society and has served as Vice-President and Treasurer as well as volunteering for several committees. A long-time community volunteer, Jean is a founding member of Trees for Trenton and currently sits on the Trenton Historical Society Board.
SARAH UNGER is honored to be a part of the mission of Trenton Museum Society, having developed her relationship with the Trenton City Museum from occasional visitor to member to volunteer to board member. As a board member since 2019, she is deeply involved in the organization’s marketing, communications, and design efforts, and has, since 2021, co-coordinated, the annual Ellarslie Open juried exhibition. She serves on the Exhibitions and Collections Committee and the Development Committee. An experienced nonprofit professional, board member, and volunteer, Sarah has a background in marketing communications in both nonprofit and corporate entities. Most recently, she served for eleven years as development and communications director of the social services organization Arm In Arm. Sarah and her husband Michael live in Ewing, NJ, where they raised their three adult children, each of whom avidly appreciates and seeks out the arts.
