Our Team

Claire Wildermuth Sadler has been with the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor since 2014, when she started as the organization’s Conservation Coordinator. Claire previously held the roles of Director of Trails & Conservation, Deputy Director and most recently, Interim Executive Director. In these roles, she has overseen trail development, served as the internal lead for Lehigh Valley Greenways, one of Pennsylvania’s eight conservation landscapes, and went on to provide leadership for both the Trails & Conservation department and organization as a whole.   

Claire holds a degree in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College. Prior to her work with the DLNHC, Sadler was a Special Programs Coordinator for Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Hawley, PA and Director of Education at Fernbrook Farms Education Center, Bordentown, NJ.  

In her ascent to leadership, Claire led the brand development and launch of one of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s partnership programs, THE LINK Trail Network, and stewards the range of partners that make possible the work of the DLNHC. Her role as Deputy Director and later Interim Executive Director, moreover, prove her deep understanding of the mission of the organization, while already providing executive leadership in hiring, onboarding, strategic planning and grant seeking.   

Claire resides in Bethlehem Township with her husband, Tom, and their sons, Lincoln and Carter. They enjoy finding new places for enjoying nature in the region and can often be seen enjoying the D&L Trail with their dog, Ripley.

Loretta started at the DLNHC in 2009. She has over 30 years office administration experience, first in the corporate world, then several years running the office of a small Catholic school.

Working at the DLNHC, she says she has learned more about the area she lives in than she knew in the 20+ years she has lived in the Lehigh Valley. Loretta enjoys getting out on the trail, visiting corridor communities and looks forward to seeing more new places. Loretta assists with several projects and programs; but really enjoys various events, especially the Delaware & Lehigh Heritage Half Marathon and Haunted Hugh Moore Park.

Loretta and her husband are empty nesters living in Forks Township. Husband John has been known to help out on marathon day and at other events. In her spare time, Loretta enjoys her grandchildren, gardening, cross stitch and baking.

Gianna Caruso joined the DLNHC team in September 2021 as the new Communications Coordinator. Gianna has taken on the critical role of nurturing the DLNHC’s many community connections, while creating and fostering new ones. She is responsible for the maintenance of the organizational website and coordinating the DLNHC’s various social media accounts. She also serves as our main point of contact with the media, while creating marketing and communication strategies for events held throughout the Corridor.

Gianna graduated with a B.A. in Communication and Social Influence from Temple University. Before joining the DLNHC, she interned remotely as the Communication Team Lead for an animal welfare nonprofit organization. In her free time, she enjoys baking, music, and nature photography. While not a native to PA, Gianna was raised in Staten Island, home to several historic districts and best known as New York City’s “greenest borough.” Growing up on Staten Island allowed her to develop a love for history and the environment at a young age.

Tim joined the DLNHC in June 2021 as the Facilities and Infrastructure Manager. In this position, Tim is responsible for ensuring that the buildings, grounds, and other infrastructure associated with the DLNHC remain in excellent shape and that they perform as they should. He keeps a close eye on everything from the Josiah White II Canal Boat to the computers in the Emrick Technology Center with a focus on preventive maintenance so that the DLNHC’s excellent team can work at its best. Tim is almost a Jack-of-all-trades, having spent most of his adult life in the building trades. He started in residential construction, then transitioned to the precast/prestress concrete industry where he worked his way from an hourly laborer to Plant manager. He also has extensive experience in the quality control field.  

Tim was born and raised in the Pittsburgh, Pa area. He earned his B.A. in History at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and is working on a Master’s in History at Lehigh University. He enjoys travel and has lived in several states and also in the Republic of Ireland while studying at Trinity College in Dublin. In his free time, Tim enjoys playing piano, trombone, and guitar. He also reads voraciously on many subjects and enjoys the outdoors (especially in winter) with his wife, two sons, and two high-energy dogs. 

Aurelia Rapp is the Development Assistant for the DLNHC. She has more than 25 years of experience as an administrative assistant, having held positions at educational institutions and area businesses.  Aurelia particularly enjoys interacting with volunteers, members, and co-workers as well as her time at home with her family in her favorite place, the kitchen. She is thankful that her experience at the DLNHC has given her an appreciation of how non-profits seek to improve the quality of life.

Liz Rosencrans joined the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor in December 2020 as the Trail and Stewardship Manager, leading the development and stewardship of the 165-mile D&L Trail from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol with local landowners. Liz now serves as the Director of Trails & Conservation.

The Director of Trails & Conservation works closely with the Trails & Conservation Associate, the Conservation Coordinator for Lehigh Valley Greenways, and the Education Manager for Get Your Tail on the Trail. Liz is responsible for the progression of trail projects from concept to completion and handles everything from grant writing and management, technical plan reviews, and construction oversight to trail maintenance. She also oversees the D&L Trail Tender, Adopt-A-Section of D&L Trail, and  D&L Trail Patrol volunteer programs.

Prior to joining the DLNHC, Liz worked as a planner at an engineering firm and holds a B.S. in Geoscience and a B.A. in Environmental Geography from West Chester University. From her adopted hometown of Ambler, she enjoys exploring the greenways of the Delaware and Lehigh valleys with her partner and two cats as well as cooking and crafting.

Alice Wanamaker joined the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (DLNHC) in June 2023 as the Economic Development Manager. She works with the Trails & Conservation team leading the progression of the Trail Friendly Business and Trail Towns programs.  

Prior to joining the DLNHC, Alice served Carbon County and the Northern Lehigh businesses and communities with the Chamber & Economic Development Corp where she worked on revitalization projects such as community and business centric events and promotions.  She holds an A.A.S in Criminal Justice from Lehigh Carbon Community College.

Alice has served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Palmerton Community Blood Drives with Miller Keystone Blood Center since 2019. She also volunteers in her hometown of Slatington with the Northern Lehigh Recreation Authority on various programs.

Alice considers herself a foodie and enjoys growing her own food and cooking. She loves spending time outdoors and on the trail riding bicycle or on the water kayaking.  She also enjoys practicing yoga, live music, camping, and traveling. 

Brit serves as External Lead for Lehigh Valley Greenways – one of Pennsylvania’s eight Conservation Landscapes – and manages the LVG Mini Grant Program. In this role she is able to promote conservation and recreation through a place-based partnership in both the county she grew up in and the county she now resides.

Prior to joining DLNHC as Conservation Coordinator in February 2022, Brit served as Environmental Education Manager at Wildlands Conservancy.  It was there she developed and implemented nature-based programming for schools and communities throughout Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties, while increasing and diversifying revenue streams.

Brit has also worked at St. Luke’s Rodale Institute Organic Farm in Easton, Rodale Institute Headquarters in Kutztown, and Monroe County Conservation District’s Environmental Education Center.

She holds an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Lehigh Carbon Community College, a B.A. in Professional Writing from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, and recently completed a 200 Hour Yoga Teaching Training Program at the Yoga Loft in Bethlehem.

Brit enjoys archery, reading, and meditative walks on a horse farm in Hellertown, where she resides with her wonderful husband and implacable cat.

Wendi joined the DLNHC team in December 2021 as Inventory Coordinator. In her position, she assisted the National Canal Museum in streamlining collections by conducting an inventory of items at the Museum Support Center and aiding in processing and organizing archival materials. Starting September 2022, Wendi works as the Museum Collections Manager. 

Prior to coming here, Wendi spent over 11 years as Visual Resources Manager and Archival Assistant at Taylor Memorial Library, Centenary University. She has a B.F.A. in Studio Arts (Concentration: Metalsmithing) from Arcadia University and an M.L.I.S. from Syracuse University.  

Wendi’s canal roots run deep: her great-grandmother was born on the Morris Canal, and her great great-grandfather worked first as a brakeman for Plane 3 West near Waterloo Village and later as the plane tender for Plane 3 East in Ledgewood, New Jersey. She attributes her connection to the Canal as the impetus for her love of history and historical places.  

When she’s not knee deep in archival records, she enjoys hiking, reading, and playing immersive murder mystery and escape room games. She also plays the piano relatively well and the banjo not so well.  

A native of Catasauqua, PA, Martha has served the DLNHC and National Canal Museum in various capacities since 1990. She is passionate about preserving and presenting our local history, because of its major national significance. She has been a professional writer and editor and has written nine books on historical topics ranging from swimming, auto-racing, Catasauqua, Whitehall, Coplay, the Lehigh Valley cement industry, the Vatican, and the DLNHC’s new book on the industrial history of the Corridor, Geography, Geology and Genius.

Martha has been managing the archives here at the DLNHC and National Canal Museum since 2012; she helps to create and maintain the museum exhibits and takes an occasional turn aboard the canal boat, Josiah White II. She loves going out into the communities along the Corridor to meet people and tell our stories with talks, photographs, and films. 

Richard Hughes shares his expertise with the D&L’s Trail & Conservation Committee as well as the Advancement committee. He currently serves as the President Judge for the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. Hughes received his J.D. from Washington and Lee School of Law with an undergraduate degree from Lafayette College. With personal interest in hiking, running and biking, he offers great dedication to his committee involvements.

Hilary Jebitsch currently teaches in the Historic Preservation Program at Bucks County Community College and works as an independent museum and research consultant. For many years she worked for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum commission as a curator and as the Historic Site Administrator of Washington Crossing Historic Park. As part of her consulting work Hilary has worked with other Heritage Regions to help them tell a broader and more inclusive history.

Hilary is a native of Bucks County and now lives close to the Canal Museum. She enjoys hiking along the canal trails and learning more about its regional story. She strongly believes in giving back to her community and is excited to be part of the DLNHC. In January of 2023, Hilary was elected to serve as treasurer for the Board.

Born and raised in Jim Thorpe, PA, Sierra Fogal is one of the owners of Pocono Whitewater, Pocono Biking, and Skirmish Paintball. She grew up in the outdoor industry and is passionate about helping people get outside. She serves as the secretary of the D&L and is a member of the marketing committee. Sierra has a BA from Syracuse University and in her free time enjoys biking, kayaking, and traveling with her husband Reed and daughter Zara.

Ed has been a Lehigh Valley resident since 1986. He retired in 2022 from Discover Lehigh Valley (DLV), where he served ten years as Vice President of Finance and Operations. While there, he earned the Lehigh Valley Certified Tourism Ambassador designation and was nominated for Lehigh Valley Business’s CFO of the Year. Prior to working at DLV, he owned his own business, Eppler & Company Accounting & Income Tax Services, for many years. Ed graduated from Wilkes University in 1981 with a BS in Accounting.

Ed is an avid trail user, both as a runner and cyclist. He has completed 35 marathons, including Boston and New York several times. He has cycled every mile of the D&L Trail from Bristol to Mountain Top. Ed participated in the first three D&L Half Marathons before becoming race director in 2015. Under Ed’s direction, the event grew from 650 participants to a peak of more than 1,000. Ed has also participated in the D&L Trail Challenge and Get Your Tail on the Trail. He has served on the LINK Steering and Minsi Greenway committees. Ed enjoys travel, wine tasting, hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. He grew up on a 300-acre dairy farm in New Jersey. One could say that Ed is a lover of the land!

Ed and his wife, Laura, an avid walker and former runner, and D&L volunteer, reside in Bethlehem one mile from the Nor-Bath Trail. Ed and Laura have two grown sons who also run marathons.

Joe Butkiewicz is a native and resident of Kingston in Luzerne County. He is the Director of Community Engagement for the North Branch Land Trust.  Joe was the Managing Editor at The Times-Tribune in Scranton and prior to that he worked at The Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre for 30 years as a writer, editor and Executive Editor.

Joe joined Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s board in 2025, and serves on the boards of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts and the land committee of the North Branch Land Trust. He previously served on the boards of the Luzerne County Historical Society, the Family Service Association of Wyoming Valley and Friends of the Sordoni Art Gallery.

Joe is an avid cyclist and hiker and enjoys fly fishing, gardening and researching local history.

Lux is a Principal Business Systems Analyst at Red Hat and owns the Valley Royale, a tennis club, private event space, and Airbnb in Lehighton.

Lux founded the Valley Royale Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization that creates free kids tennis clinics in Carbon County, serves as Vice President for LVHN’s Board of Associates Executive Committee, and serves on the USTA Middle States EPD District Council and Lehighton Education and Athletic Foundation. In 2025, Lux joined Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s Board.

Lux attended Drexel University in Philadelphia, majoring in International Studies: Business & Economics. After graduating, she taught English in China, worked with early stage technology & women’s health start-ups in Chile, and then went to San Francisco to work in marketing for technology companies such as IBM, Google, and Uber.

Lux currently resides in Jim Thorpe with her husband, Sam & their beagle/hound, Lola. Nearly every morning, you can find her running or biking on the Switchback or D&L trail.

In January 2023, Andy Hamilton was elected to be Chairperson of the DLNHC Board of Directors. He also heads the Trail Committee.

Andy Hamilton chairs the Board of Directors of the September Eleventh National Memorial Trail Alliance. Formerly Hamilton served on the board of the East Coast Greenway Alliance and as the Mid-Atlantic Trail Coordinator for the East Coast Greenway.  He has chaired the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Trail Advisory Committee and the Bucks County Bicycle Task Force served on the Delaware Greenways board and as a steering committee member of the Circuit Trails. He brings great dedication and passion for the vision of long range trails connecting community trails to create quality of life and economic development.
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Hamilton’s professional experience lies in landscape architecture and planning as well as trail development.  He spent two decades assisting community revitalization at the regional and local level. His work included design and planning along with economic development projects for corridors, communities and regions.

Michele Millington is a professional pianist, cellist, and music educator.  She is also part owner of Bassler Equipment Co. in Forty Fort, PA.  She has taught at several universities, held leadership positions in local arts organizations and worked as a music director in community theaters.  She volunteered for 8 years as a docent at Lincoln Center, NYC and since COVID spent her time volunteering at the National Canal Museum.

She uses the D & L trail regularly as a biker and hiker. She lives in Mountaintop with her husband Marty Wentz and their dog Molly.

Richard Stringer is the Senior Vice President for Crayola Global Consumer & Customer Leadership Center​. Starting his career with Crayola in 2000, Stringer worked his way up from Trade Marketing Manager to the position he holds today. He brings with him approximately 30 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, combining his skills of strategic marketing, brand development, consulting, and visual storytelling.

Stringer graduated from the University of Toledo in 1992. He is married with two children, is an active supporter of visual arts in the Lehigh Valley, and enjoys traveling, gardening, and landscaping. Stringer is a self-proclaimed frequent user of the D&L Trail “with a passion for cycling and history.” He currently resides in Easton, PA.

Ken Szydlow is the Chief Marketing Officer at St. Luke’s University Health Network with over 30 years of experience. Throughout his career he has been responsible for defining brand strategy and key marketing initiatives. He enjoys using data and research to analyze the competitive environment to develop proactive sales and advertising plans. He is on the forefront of using Emmy Award winning video applications in staff education and patient advertisement.

At St. Luke’s, Ken is responsible for Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Event Management, and Crisis Communication for a $3.0 billion revenue generating multi-hospital health system consisting of 14 hospital campuses, 300+ practice locations, a medical school, a nursing school, home care and hospice services.

Ken received a BA in Government from Cornell University and an MBA from Duke University.

He resides in Bethlehem, PA and can often be found hiking and biking on the D& L trails with his wife Lisa and their three children.

Jake Warfel is Director of Strategy & Development at Klunk & Millan Advertising, located in Allentown, PA. With more than 20 years of marketing and communications experience, Jake’s primary specialties are building strong client relationships and developing successful work across brand identity, marketing strategy, website development, traditional and digital media, and public relations.

Jake graduated from Kutztown University in 2001. As a current resident of Bucks County, Jake lives with his son, Jackson, in Perkasie, PA. As outdoor enthusiasts, they enjoy activities such biking, running, camping, hiking, and fly-fishing.