The Collective relies on small group of dedicated staff and a Board that meets once a month.
Current Board Members
Jo Clayson
Jo has lived in upstate NY most of her life, but ran out of fingers and toes to count the moves before putting down roots in Herkimer County in 2003. Jo has been […]
Steven Donovan
Steven Donovan is our Vice President. A native of Upper Darby, PA, Steven moved to New York City at the age of 19 to seek his fame and fortune in […]
Nick Drummond
Nick Drummond currently serves as a board member of the Mohawk Valley Collective, having joined in 2014. Originally from Laurel, MD, he attended the University of Maryland, earning a degree […]
Tolga Morawski
Tolga Morawski founded the Mohawk Valley Collective (MVC), formerly known as Historic Fort Plain, with two friends in 2011 and currently serves as a Director on the Board. Tolga was […]
Sheryl Neal
Sheryl Neal was born in Seneca Falls, NY. Upon graduation from high school she left NY and earned her Bachelorsof Fine Arts at Bethel College in Minnesota. After teaching in […]
Gerritt Platel
Gerritt Platel is President of the Mohawk Valley Collective. Historic preservation is a passion of Mohawk Valley Collective President Gerritt Platel. The son of a contractor, the Rensselaerville, NY, native […]
Tanya Towne
Tanya Towne has served on the Board of Directors since Spring of 2012, serving as the Secretary from Fall of 2016, until September 2017, when she became the organization’s Treasurer. […]
Current Staff
Emily Brockenbrough
Part of the Mohawk Valley Collective since Spring 2016, Emily is a designer dedicated to the mission of aligning the built environment with community needs. She holds a degree in […]
Andrew Salimian
Andrew joined the Mohawk Valley Collective (MVC) in 2015 as an intern and later became a Preservation Associate, as of 2017 has served as MVC’s Executive Director. He has a […]
Julie Seamon
Looking to channel her experience in business administration towards a community nonprofit, Julie Seamon joined the Mohawk Valley Collective in 2022 as our Administrative Director. Julie grew up in Richfield […]
Sam Wrigglesworth
Sam Wrigglesworth joined the Mohawk Valley Collective (MVC) as an Intern in May of 2015 while she was living in New York City and has since grown with our organization […]
Partners & Collaborators
Omonike Akinyemi
Omonike Akinyemi is a film director/choreographer based in Fort Plain, NY. Omonike has earned a B.A. in Comparative Literature and African Studies from Yale University and a MFA in Film […]
Seb Choe
Seb Choe joined the Mohawk Valley Collective in Summer 2017 and is working on the design of Unity Park at 41 Mohawk Street. They are a recent graduate of Columbia […]
Holly Flitcroft
Holly Flitcroft graduated from The State University of New York at Oswego, where she earned a BA in Fine Arts/Ceramics and Art History. Holly has over 15 years of arts […]
Joe Gyurik
Joe Gyurik is a vocalist and multi-instrumental musician who has been an active performer in groups in the Mohawk Valley over the past 15 years. With his experience in music […]
Jessie Ravage
Jessie Ravage works as a researcher and writer specializing in central New York State history, especially in the areas of architectural history, resort development, agricultural history, and social history. She […]
Former Board Members
Ted Arndt
Ted Arndt was a founder of the Mohawk Valley Collective (then known as Historic Fort Plain) and the Secretary from its inception in July 2011 through late 2013. He was […]
Doug Gray
Doug Gray is a Director of the Mohawk Valley Collective. He and his wife, Lynn, the CEO of the Remington Federal Credit Union, moved to the Mohawk Valley from New […]
Hein Kraak
Hein Kraak has been involved with the Historic West Hill School Committee (as the president) and Unity Hall project since the beginning and was a director, and eventually President of the Mohawk Valley […]
Linda Kellett
Although Linda had served the MVC in the capacity of volunteer and staff member for many years, she joined the board during the summer of 2015 bringing communications, networking skills […]
John McGlone
John McGlone joined the Board of Directors of Mohawk Valley Collective in 2013. He served the MVC through the Summer of 2014, acting as Secretary. While globally experienced, John describes himself as […]
Jocelyn Mosher
Jocelyn became out bookkeeping assistant in Fall of 2015. Jocelyn has since joined the Board in August of 2017, becoming Secretary in September, in addition to continuing as our bookkeeping […]
Bob Perry
Robert V. Perry was President of the Mohawk Valley Collective from its inception in July 2011 as Historic Fort Plain through the Summer of 2013. He was born, raised, and […]
Robert Smith
Robert was a Director of the Mohawk Valley Collective. He and his wife, Ina, raised their two daughters in a large Stick-style Victorian home and four-stall carriage house in the […]
Former Staff
Sarah Silverblatt Buser
Growing up immersed in the small but intense world of classical ballet, Sarah has always held a deep passion for the performing arts. In May of 2015, Sarah earned a […]
David Gassett
David joined us in May of 2015, after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Archaeology from Columbia University. David has a strong appreciation for history and its […]
Meg Madorin
Meg Madorin holds a BFA in dance from New York University and has worked with New York-based dance companies and organizations, both through artistic and administrative/PR work. Prior to the […]
Jocelyn Mosher
Jocelyn became our bookkeeping assistant in Fall of 2015. Jocelyn has since joined the Board in August of 2017, becoming Secretary in September, in addition to continuing as our bookkeeping […]
Carla Penque
It’s with heavy hearts that the Mohawk Valley Collective shares the unexpected passing of Preservationist Carla Penque. Carla had spent 2014 through 2015 as an intern with the MVC as […]
Whitney Wei
An artist in her own right, former intern Whitney Wei has brought her unique skill set and creative talents to the Mohawk Valley Collective over her two-year association with the […]
Elizabeth Rodgers
Elizabeth Rodgers has always been interested in art. An avid quilter, the Barnard College history major has sewn since childhood and was involved with costume design for her Boston-area high […]
Charlotte Volpe
Former MVC intern Charlotte Volpe is passionate about history, so when an opportunity presented itself to work with an upstate organization dedicated to the preservation of local history and architecture, […]