Note: an * after the name denotes a member of the Executive Committee

2010 Alternate Board of Directors

• Jane Halvorson                        209-1813
  
• Sandy Paavola                         779-3293
  
• Mary Peterson                         779-5213
  

 Class of 2012 Board of Directors

Re-Elected Board Members

Jerry Phillips, his wife Mary and Marjorie Benton founded the Bayfield Heritage Association in 1977 and he has been a driving force in its evolution ever since. As Bayfield’s premiere Innkeeper he has brought the Rittenhouse Inn to National prominence which led to a position as executive director of the Professional Association of Innkeepers International. In his capacity as a non-denominational minister he has performed dozens of weddings for guests at the Rittenhouse Inn or its sister property Le Chateau Boutin. Jerry and Mary, both of whom have music degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, formed the Rittenhouse Singers in 1976 and under his talented direction they have evolved into a Northern Wisconsin Christmas tradition attracting audiences from afar. His acclaimed abilities as an auctioneer have been instrumental in the annual fundraising efforts of the BHA which have allowed the organization to maintain financial solvency and keep the Heritage Center open for the community and visitors. (Written by: SLR)

Marilyn Van Sant has over 25 years of experience as a volunteer with non-profits including positions as a past board member of the Sedgewick County Historical Museum and the Wichita Art Association in Wichita, Kansas, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Montgomery, Alabama, the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania, Greystone Society in Coatesville, Pennsylvania and the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester, Pennsylvania. She has been on the BHA board since 2003.

Robert J. Nelson is a Bayfield native son and the descendant of Teutonic stock immigrants from Norway, Denmark and Germany, circa late 1890's. In 2005 Nelson laid the foundation for the current Heritage Center program series. He is presently serving to enlist the stories and knowledge of Bayfield's elders through the BHA "Personal Chronicles" archiving series. Since 2007 he has served on the Bayfield School District Board of Education and is currently its President. In 2006 he was a co-founder and is currently Chairperson of The Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy which supports the preservation of historic buildings and landscapes in Bayfield and the Apostle Island National Lakeshore. Bob is the author of, "Memories and Minutes", a history of the School District of Bayfield and has facilitated the completion of "Tales of Bayfield Pioneers', A History of Bayfield, Wisconsin. He enjoys studying genealogy and engages in the pictorial archiving of his family history and the research and writing of local history. For relaxation he often turns to sport fishing on Lake Superior especially from the family fish camp on Rocky Island. Bob joined the BHA in 1999 and became a Life Member and a Board Member in 2004.

Newly Elected Board Members

Bruce Burnside has been a Bayfield owner built home resident for over thirty years and keeping up with him takes a slow, steady pace. With degrees in English and Education he is the Artistic Director of Forgotten Wisdom, a non-profit organization focusing on working with students to develop reading, speaking and organizational skills and preserving American history. A musician all his life, he helped create Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua. His stage creations include “Unsung Stories of the Civil War”, “Tonight At The Opera House”, and “The Bullfrog Banjaree” which won a Children’s Web Award. His radio documentary “The Settlement”, the history of a mixed blood community outside Bayfield, was selected as a recommended choice on the public radio web site PRX. His extensive research and reproduction of American Classic banjo music of the late 19th century is preserved in the Library of Congress and offered as a music lesson at www.bruceburnside.com. Raising three daughters, producing four solo recordings and remaining as Head Tortoise at Tortoise Humor Recordings round out his winning way at a slower pace. He joins the BHA Board for his first three year term.

Virginia Hirsch has a life-long love affair with Bayfield, history and storytelling. In 2003 she founded Bayfield Heritage Tours, LLC and provides historic walking tours of Bayfield, step-on-guide services and presentations all of which illuminate the amazing history of the Bayfield area. She has a PhD. in Theatre and served as president of a Milwaukee based group seeking to preserve Wisconsin's oldest theatre on the grounds of the Zablocki Medical Center. In 1992 she received a citation from the Wisconsin Senate for her efforts in historic preservation. She has returned to again serve on the BHA Board.