The annual meeting of the Northern Mariposa County History Center took place on April 30th, 2017 at the spanking new “event” barn at Big Table Ranch. NMCHC members were warmly welcomed by Kim Brisack and Dawn Huston, owners of this new event venue, located midway between Coulterville and Greeley Hill.
John Shimer kicked off the afternoon with a great slide presentation showing the progress made in reconstruction the Argo Stamp Mill, which should culminate this summer. Then, during the business meeting, members got the good news that the museum had operated in the black in 2016. Committee reports were distributed covering the amazing amount of volunteer efforts that go into making the NMCHC run smoothly. Those present also were delighted to learn that the “other” portion of the building in which part of the museum is housed, along with several acres of surrounding open land have just been donated to the NMCHC by Russelle Shively, with the board officially accepting the terms of donation, agreeing to naming it the “Frank and Ila Barrett Building” at a recent meeting.
The Historic Frank and Ila Barrett Building now fully owned by the NMCHC
The board represents a broad spectrum of the community, and range from “first-timers to seasoned folks who have actively supported the museum since its inception. Here are some factoids about each one:
Board President MaryAnn Huff and her husband purchased what is now the MoonShine Ranch just outside of Coulterville in ’99 and slowly transitioned from Sunnyvale. Her background is in “hospitality”: she has been a travel agent, worked at several luxury hotels and was the standards manager for the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose before abandoning the city. She is the past president of the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce, was active in the startup of the John Muir Geotourism Center, serving as its first president and, in addition to her role of president of the NMCHC board, is also a board member on the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau representing District II.
Susan Bramson, vice president, has served numerous times on the NMCHC Board. This year she accepted an appointment to fill a vacancy for the remaining year of the term. She has lived in the area since 1993 and resides on the Haigh Ranch just north of Coulterville. She brings many years of experience as a volunteer docent. Prior to moving to the area, she was a management consultant in the Bay Area. Susan’s deep love of local history, the local area and wealth of experience will be of great value to the many new members of this year’s board.
Treasurer Dana Brown joined the board in 2015 and has served as treasurer almost from the start. Dana and his wife moved to Greeley Hill in the summer of 2014 from the Santa Cruz mountains when Dana semi-retired. Dana’s career was in Information Technology, serving as Chief Information Officer of several insurance companies. He has served on a number of boards including another non-profit, the Bay Area Jaguar Club.
Secretary Marilyn Wynn has owned a home in Don Pedro since 2005, retiring from her job as Pharmacy Services Supervisor after 23 years working at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara and moving there fulltime just 2 years ago. She quickly signed on as an NMCHC docent and in late 2016 she joined the Docent Committee, volunteering to manage the monthly Docent Staffing Schedule and is now serving her first term on the board.
Steven Bacus and his wife purchased their Greeley Hill property in 2000, becoming full time residents in 2009. Steve retired from management with AT&T and he and his wife are in their 4th year as inn keepers for their 'Cabin at Quail Crossing' B&B. Steve is now serving his first term on the NMCHC board as well.
Sandra Richesin has lived in Don Pedro for 16 yrs. She is a sales rep for a wholesale grocer for whom she has worked for 31 yrs! Sandi joined the board last year and simultaneously also took on the chairpersonship for CoyoteFest vendors which she has taken on again in 2017.
Judy Stafford and her husband purchased the historical Barrett Home in Coulterville a few years ago. They are still transitioning from the Bay area. Renovating and then living in such an historical home sparked her interest in learning more about the rich history of Coulterville. Judy’s 25 years of experience in finance and accounting at various medical centers, including a 17-year stint at Stanford, allowed her to find a job in the same field at the Tuolumne County Dept. of Social Services. In spite of working full time and necessary trips back to the Bay area, she is thrilled to join the NMCHC board and has already joined the finance committee.
The NMCHC is in great hands this year!
