The D&L Blog

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is pleased to announce the addition of two new team members: Tim Cramer, filling the role of Facilities and Infrastructure Manager, and Gianna Caruso in the position of Communications Coordinator. Both Tim and Gianna bring passion and enthusiasm to their roles, and we are excited to have their expertise in our continued journey!

Gianna Caruso, Communications Coordinator

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. She is excited that working on the D&L Trail allows her to enjoy two of her longtime passions in one setting, experiencing both the rich history and wildlife found throughout the region.   

Tim Cramer, Facilities and Infrastructure Manager

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. 

Learn More About Tim and Gianna!

• What are you most excited about in your new role working with the D&L?
  • Tim: I am excited to be working at the D&L because it is the job I didn’t know I needed! It is a very positive atmosphere and everybody has been very friendly and helpful. The mission of the D&L coincides with several of my interests and passions in life: history, the outdoors, conservation, and the public good. My position as Facilities and Infrastructure Manager is great because I can use my 20 years of construction skills to good effect. It also provides me with an opportunity to learn new things, like computer networking.  I’m proud to be working for an organization that is striving to provide education and recreation for the communities lucky enough to be along the trail.
  • Gianna: As someone who enjoys both history and the environment, and particularly sharing the information I learn with others, the D&L is pretty much the perfect place for me. I am excited to work with people who share the same goals and passions as I do when it comes to these topics. Also, I always wanted to work in a museum! 
• What projects are you looking forward to jumping in to?
  • Tim: I have a multitude of projects I am working on, from finding a new canopy for our canal boat to working with different committees to help us have our facilities ready to expand into the future.
  • Gianna: It’s a bit difficult for me to pick, since I just started the job. The project I currently think about the most is the half marathon. But ultimately, if I had to choose, I’d say any program that involves the immersive aspects of the museum and the trail is something I’m passionate about. 
• What are your favorite “Fun Facts About Me” outside the workplace?
  • Tim: I enjoy reading. My favorite authors are, in no particular order, Edward Abbey, Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Mark Twain. I enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, and campfires. My favorite season is winter. I love to travel. I’ve been many places, but my favorites are the southern tier of NY state, Northern PA, Ireland, France, and the Southwest American desert.
  • Gianna: I grew up in Staten Island but moved to PA when I was sixteen, finishing out high school and going to college here.  I enjoy cooking and baking, listening to music, napping with my pet cat, and nature photography. I also enjoy visiting new grocery stores.  I volunteered in Peru at an animal shelter briefly before graduation. I study Mandarin Chinese and am aiming to take a proficiency exam in the future.