Historical Society of Palm Beach County
The Society Brings History to Life.
The Historical Society of Palm Beach County is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to collect, preserve, and share the rich history and cultural heritage of Palm Beach County. The HSPBC maintains a large archive on the history of Palm Beach County, Florida, and the Caribbean. Through its archives, which includes four million photographic images, plus maps, newspapers, journals, periodicals, architectural drawings, and research files, the Society maintains an active research facility and documents the people and events that have shaped Palm Beach County. In addition, the multiple education programs and initiatives of the Society in schools and communities are of primary importance to our vision of building an understanding and appreciation of local history in our children.
After the Historical Society was formed in 1937, West Palm Beach attorney A. Stanley Bussey donated a vintage black-and-white photograph of an island street scene to the newly established Society, the first gift to what would become a remarkable collection of artifacts and documents representing the cultures and communities, failures and successes of life in Palm Beach County.
The creation of the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum in 2008 finally allowed the collection to fully serve its critical purpose: to share and showcase the rich history of Palm Beach County and the larger context of Florida’s heritage dating back at least 12,000 years.
Our Team
![Jeremy W. Johnson, CAE](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Jeremy-W-Johnson-CAE.jpg)
Jeremy W. Johnson, CAE
President and Chief Executive Officer
jjohnson@pbchistory.org | ext.102
![Sharon Poss](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Sharon-Poss.jpg)
Sharon Poss
Office Administrator
sposs@pbchistory.org | ext. 100
![Rhonda Gordon](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Rhonda-Gordon.jpg)
Rhonda Gordon
Director of Outreach and Volunteer Services
rgordon@pbchistory.org | ext. 109
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Screen-Shot-2023-08-11-at-10.05.08-AM.png)
Erica Grant
Collections Curator
egrant@pbchistory.org | ext. 113
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/thumbnail_Stephanie-Issac-Headshot-2024-e1719413531285.jpg)
Stephanie Issac
Membership and Development Director
sissac@pbchistory.org | ext. 103
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_3081.jpg)
Taylor Materio
Chief Development Officer
tmaterio@pbchistory.org | ext. 104
![Debi Murray](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Debi-Murray.jpg)
Debi Murray
Chief Curator
dmurray@pbchistory.org | ext. 105
![Rose Guerrero](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Rose-Guerrero.jpg)
Rose Guerrero
Director of Research
rguerrero@pbchistory.org | ext. 112
![Casey Lipschutz](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Casey-Lipschutz.jpg)
Casey Lipschutz
Education Coordinator
clipschutz@pbchistory.org | ext. 106
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Photo_2022-01-13_193602.jpeg)
Kalani Leblanc
Museum Coordinator
kleblanc@pbchistory.org | ext. 136
OFFICERS 2024-2025
![Richard S. Johnson Jr.](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Richard-S-Johnson-Jr.jpg)
Richard S. Johnson Jr.
Board Chair
![Jeffrey Alderton](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Jeffrey-Alderton.jpg)
Jeffrey Alderton
First Vice Chair
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Penny-Murphy.jpg)
Penny Murphy
Secretary
![Thomas Burns, CPA](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Thomas-Burns-CPA.jpg)
Thomas M. Burns, CPA
Treasurer
![John Archer](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/John-Archer.jpg)
John P. Archer
Member at Large
![George L. Ford III](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/George-Ford.jpg)
George L. Ford III
Member at Large
![Joseph Chase](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Joseph-Chase.jpg)
Joseph P. Chase Sr.
Member at Large
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Screen-Shot-2023-08-11-at-9.59.09-AM.png)
Vernique Williams
Member at Large
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1-1.png)
Laurel Baker
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Daniel-Hotstettler-Edited.jpg)
Daniel Hostettler
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/6.png)
Andrew
Sciame
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2-1.png)
Hampton Beebe
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/28.png)
Scott Johnson
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2.png)
Maricela Torres
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.png)
Bill Bone
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/1.png)
Stacey Leuliette
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/7.png)
Mary Weiss
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/3-1.png)
M. Cheryl Burkhardt
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/5.png)
Harris Levitt
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/3.png)
Sarah Wetenhall
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4-1.png)
Alex Griswold
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/5-1.png)
Stephen C. Richman
BOARD OF ADVISORS
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/9.png)
Christian Angle
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/16.png)
Dale R. Hedrick
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/12.png)
The Honorable Bradley G. Harper
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10.png)
Mark B. Elhilow
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/31.png)
Russell Kelley
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/17.png)
Harvey E. Oyer III
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/19.png)
George T. Elmore
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/13.png)
Gary S. Lesser
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/30.png)
Jorge Pesquera
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/11.png)
Dennis Grady
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20.png)
Karen Marcus
![Mark Stevens](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Mark-Stevens-300x400.jpg)
Mark Stevens
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/27.png)
William Graham
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/14.png)
Carey O’Donnell
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/15.png)
Keith Williams
Ex-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/23.png)
Alexandria Ayala
School Board of Palm Beach County Member
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/22.png)
Mack Bernard
Palm Beach County Commissioner
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/24.png)
Danielle Hickox Moore
Town of Palm Beach Mayor
![](https://pbchistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/25.png)
Thomas M. Kirchhoff
Past Board Chair
Foundation Support
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
The David Minkin Foundation
The Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation
Florida Department of State Division of Arts & Culture
The Fortin Foundation of Florida
Frances and Jeffrey Fisher Charitable Foundation Inc.
Frances G. Scaife Foundation
General Society of Colonial Wars
The Hulitar Family Foundation
J.M. Rubin Foundation
Knight Foundation
The Loreen Beisswenger Farish Charitable Foundation
The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation, Inc.
Pat Moran Family Foundation Inc.
PJ Callahan Foundation, Inc.
Richard S. Johnson Family Foundation
Scaife Family Foundation
The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation
Sharkey Family Foundation, Inc.
Sidney Kohl Family Foundation
Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Florida
William A. Meyer Foundation
History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history.
-- James Baldwin
Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion (DEI) Statement
In furthering our mission, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County and Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum pledge to continually work toward integrating values, policies, and practices that ensure equality and inclusiveness for all people without regard to race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion.