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 D&LNHC, 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 D&LNHC. 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.

In his role as Finance & Personnel Manager, Penman has overall responsibility for financial functions and overseeing human resource activities of the D&L National Heritage Corridor, Inc. This includes payroll, monthly financial reporting, annual budget preparation, grant monitoring and administration, audit oversight, and human resource management. Penman will work collaboratively with other staff professionals in communications, grants, trails management, and educational programming and administration.

Penman previously served as accounting manager at Schutt Reconditioning in Easton and, prior to that, as accounting manager at Sanbor Corporation in Allentown. While at Schutt, he oversaw an accounting operation of a sports equipment company that reconditions more than 300K in football, lacrosse, and baseball helmets each year. While at Sanbor, he oversaw the accounting operation for a sales, design, and marketing operation of OEM cable assembly devices as engineered locally and manufactured in China. Penman holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Mississippi in Oxford.

In addition to spending time with his wife and 3 children, he enjoys running, biking, home gardening and his two dogs.

Kelly Federico joined the D&L in March 2018 as the Manager of Gifts and Development. In her work at the D&L, she is responsible for all fundraising functions, including memberships, donations, corporate partnerships and special events. Kelly is passionate about philanthropy and advocates for donor-centrism.  She holds a B.A. in Public Relations from the Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. Prior to joining the D&L, Kelly was part of the Donor Relations team, and previously, the Digital Communications team, in Lehigh University’s Department of Development and Alumni Relations. She also spent time as a reporter and online producer for the Entertainment section of the Morning Call newspaper. Locally, she sits on the marketing committee of the Lehigh Valley chapter of NAMI and periodically performs with community theater groups.  Kelly grew up in Bethlehem Township and currently resides in Catasauqua with her two cats, Elvira and Chomsky. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the area with friends, cooking, reading, and writing.

Aurelia Rapp is the Development Assistant for the D&L. 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 D&L has given her an appreciation of how non-profits seek to improve the quality of life.

Loretta started at the D&L 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 D&L, 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 D&L team in September 2021 as the new Communications Coordinator. Gianna has taken on the critical role of nurturing the D&L’s many community connections, while creating and fostering new ones. She is responsible for the maintenance of the organizational website and coordinating the D&L’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 D&L, 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 D&L 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 D&L 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 Emerick Technology Center with a focus on preventive maintenance so that the D&L’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. 

In her role as Museum & Education Director, Daphne is responsible for overseeing the operations of the National Canal Museum and the Josiah White II mule-drawn canal boat as well as the D&L’s educational programming.  She has an excellent understanding of the inner workings of the museum, having previously held the positions of Immersion Days Educator, Canal Boat Crew Member, and Visitor Services Manager.  A native of Allentown, Daphne received a MA in Cultural Heritage Management from the University of York in the UK. She has worked for a variety of museums and heritage sites throughout her career including the Science Museum Group, the National Trust in the UK, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, and The Olana Partnership.  When not hanging around the National Canal Museum, she can often be found soaking up history at other museums or searching for geocaches in the woods.

A native of Catasauqua, PA, Martha has served the D&L 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 D&L’s new book on the Industrial History of the Corridor.  Martha has been managing the archives here at the D&L and National Canal Museum since 2012; she helps to create and maintain the museum exhibits and takes an occasional turn aboard the D&L 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. 

Whitney Davison joined the D&L in 2020 as the Education Manager. In her work at the D&L she is responsible for all educational programs for all ages. Her responsibilities include working with local schools overseeing field trips and our school-based curriculums, offering museum programming for families, children, and adults, offering programming along the D&L trails, creating an educational online presence, and helping to develop exhibits and experiences within the museum. Before joining the D&L Whitney spent 20 years as a teacher. Nearly all of those years were spent teaching middle school History at Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School. Whitney received her bachelor’s of Art in history and education from Wheelock College in Boston, MA. She received her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix. Whitney has lived in the Lehigh Valley her entire life and currently calls Bushkill Township her home. She spends her free time with her husband, 3 children, extended family and friends, and a menagerie of pets.

Pam joined the D&L in 2014 as a volunteer with our mules Hank and George. As a former horse owner and 4-H Leader she was able to utilize her love for and knowledge of equines in a new setting. Learning the specifics of mules added to that knowledge base. She went on to become an Immersion Days educator and then Boat Crew Member, followed by Locktender house docent and Welcome Center staff. In January, 2019 Pam was offered the position of Visitor Service Coordinator. Currently in this position she oversees the seasonal staff for boat, welcome center and all volunteer museum and locktender house docents. She also promotes group visitation to the boat and museum and plans programming for these visits.

After attending Montclair State College Pam began a career working for Rolling Hills Girl Scout Council in New Jersey as a field manager, then Membership Services Manager and finally as Camping Administrator. She was lucky enough to be able to become a full time mom of four children and now is the happy grandmother for three beautiful grandchildren. She has always been and will continue to be an active member of her community. Pam is once again a Girl Scout Troop Leader and is also an elected School Board Member of the Lopatcong Township School District since January 2016. She enjoys spending “free time” with her husband, dog and two cats, hiking and camping as well as baking when she can for family and friends.

Liz Rosencrans joined the D&L in December 2020 as the Trail and Stewardship Manager. In this role, she manages the development and stewardship of the 165-mile Delaware and Lehigh Trail from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol. The Trail and Stewardship Manager 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. Prior to joining the D&L, Liz was part of the planning department at the engineering firm, Gilmore and Associates, Inc. Liz holds a B.S. in Geoscience and a B.A. in Environmental Geography from West Chester University. In her hometown of Ambler, she is an active member of the local Environmental Advisory Council. Liz was raised across the street from Lake Nockamixon State Park and found a love of the outdoors from an early age. In her free time she enjoys exploring the natural world of the Delaware and Lehigh valleys, hiking, cooking, crafting (lots of crafting!), and spending time with her partner and two cats.

Kathleen Ward joined the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor as Conservation Coordinator in October 2020. She serves as lead of the Lehigh Valley Greenways, one of Pennsylvania’s eight Conservation Landscapes. Lehigh Valley Greenways is a state sponsored, regional conservation partnership that brings together public and private stakeholders in an organized effort to link communities with greenways, trails, and outdoor resources, to strengthen local economies, and to improve public health, green infrastructure and natural resources. Kathleen also manages the Lehigh Valley Greenways mini grant program and works on the Activate the Advocates project among other duties. Kathleen brings to the D&L her partnership experience, passion for conservation, and motivation to inspire change. Prior to joining the D&L staff, Kathleen led New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s fundraising efforts from 2012 to 2019, completing a successful $30 million capital campaign. She also spent a decade as a development officer for Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ, most recently as Assistant Vice President for Strategic Advancement. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and completed two years of masters-level study in city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania. In May 2012, she participated in Climate Ride, a 300-mile bike ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. to help raise awareness of climate change. A native of the anthracite region of Schuylkill County, Kathleen moved to Bethlehem with her husband, Heath, 15 years ago where she tends her vegetable garden and enjoys the walking and biking trails of the city.

Born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, Imogen is reconnecting with her roots in her community-driven role through four D&L programs. In this role, she leads Trail Towns, an initiative to foster economic development in the municipalities along the trail. In collaboration with local organizations, she is developing a program to increase advocacy activity among trail users. She oversees the D&L’s innovative public health partnership with St. Luke’s, Get Your Tail on the Trail. During the spring and fall, she helms Trail Tenders maintenance and clean-up events with dedicated volunteers. 

Previously, she worked with towns and cities across the Commonwealth for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, managed a neighborhood revitalization program in eastern Delaware County, and consulted for local businesses in the agriculture and artisan foods. She earned her B.A. at Temple University in Geography & Urban Studies and American Culture & Media Arts and a Master of City Planning degree at the University of Pennsylvania, concentrating on Environmental Planning & Growth Management with a specialization in Historic Preservation. As a graduate student, she led an ethnography study in Jim Thorpe in partnership with the D&L focused on the Switchback Gravity Railroad Trail. Along the D&L trail, she loves hiking and photography. Off the trail, she enjoys gardening, yoga, and cooking. 

Darrell is retired after 20 years as a classroom teacher for grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 then 21 years as a Building Administrator. He holds a B.S. from East Stroudsburg University, Masters of Education from Shippensburg University, Elementary Principal Certificate from Lehigh University, and Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from Lehigh University.

Darrell began his relationship with the D&L through his participation as a National Canal Museum Board Member during the merger with Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. He really enjoys being part of this organization and the time he spends biking the D&L Trail.

Mike is a marketing consultant with over 30 years of experience working with clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small not-for-profits. He joined the D&L Board in 2013 and became chair in 2018. A resident of Allentown (Lehigh County), Mike is an avid runner, hiker and cyclist and enjoys clocking miles on the D&L anywhere in the corridor. He also enjoys traveling, cooking, craft beer and live music.

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.

Sharyn is retired after 10 years as a global training manager in pharmaceutical research and development at Johnson and Johnson and 31 years as a teacher and administrator for the School District of Philadelphia.

As President and Vice President of New Hope Borough for 14 years, Sharyn worked closely with the D&L and participated in the Landmark Towns program. She currently serves on the Museum, Collections, and Education Committee, as well as the DEI Committee.

She is active in her community and currently serves on the New Hope Celebrates History Committee. As an avid walker and biker, Sharyn spends a great deal of time on the D&L Trail with her wife, children, grandchildren and friends. She is devoted to her family and friends.

Julia Maserjian is the Digital Scholarship Manager for Lehigh University Library and Technology Service’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.  She also teaches courses in areas of public humanities and documentary history, theory and practice.  Julia has an interest in the region’s industrial past and the storytelling opportunities provided by the Corridor’s diverse history.  She enjoys walking the D&L Trail and other network trails in and around Bethlehem, where she resides.

Lon has served as Vice-Chair of the D&L Board of Directors since 2017 and is a member of the Executive, Facilities, Finance, Strategic Planning, and Marketing committees.  A career active-duty military officer from 1978 to 2009, Lon retired as the senior Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) in U.S. Coast Guard (CG) aviation, having held the senior CWO rank in two specialized fields at different times: electronic engineering and aviation maintenance management.  His final CG assignment was oversight of a $170M portfolio of projects at a defense contractor’s facility in NJ.  In addition to training and education related to his military career, Lon is a graduate of DeSales University (M.B.A.) and Muhlenberg College (B.B.A).

Lon discovered the D&L in 2006 when researching safe places to bike with his family and soon became a fan of rides on the D&L Trail near Glen Onoko Falls and New Hope.  He first volunteered with the organization in 2010 and has been a director since 2013.  He is passionate about environmental stewardship and ensuring sustainment of the D&L’s success in preserving, interpreting, and improving public access to the green spaces and historical places that we cherish.

Lon is a native of the NC coast and is married to Dr. Karen Snowden, who grew up a few hundred yards from a section of what is now the D&L Trail.  Lon and Karen live in Upper Macungie and enjoy family, tennis, cycling, hiking, warm beaches, live theater, and frequent travel.

Shelley is a development professional with 20 plus years of experience in fundraising, community outreach, marketing, and program creation. Shelley currently serves as Director, Major and Planned Gifts for the East Stroudsburg University Foundation (ESUF), where she provides strategic leadership, management and direction for the overall discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and planned gifts.

In addition to her successful career in development, Speirs’ experience includes five years with the PA Department of Community & Economic Development Tourism Office, where she served as Director of Outdoor Tourism & Sports Marketing. Here, she focused on increasing revenue to the Commonwealth through tourism and economic development. Speirs currently serves on the Executive Committee, Advancement Committee and DEI Committee for the D&L.  She also serves on the board of the Planned Giving Council of Greater Philadelphia, and has previously served as a board member for the YWCA of Bethlehem, the Governor’s “Adaptation to Climate Change” tourism & outdoor recreation working group, and Pennsylvania DCNR’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Technical Advisory Committee.  Speirs is an avid outdoor enthusiast and trail user who enjoys hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and running.