Media Contact: Jon-Chris Hatalski

Media Contact: Jon-Chris Hatalski

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

215-732-6200 ext 220

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA
ELECTS A NEW CHAIR

PHILADELPHIA, PA (JUNE 24, 2008) – At its June meeting, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania elected Mrs. Sarah Dolan Price as Chair of the Board of Councilors. Also at the meeting, Mr. Collin Farquhar McNeil was appointed as Honorary Chair of the Capital and Endowment Campaign, and a number of new councilors were elected.

Mrs. Sarah Dolan Price, a Councilor of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania since 2003, has been an active member of the Board’s Institutional Advancement Committee and Treasure’s Society. Previously the director of public relations and project coordinator for PENNlincs, a science mentoring program funded by the National Science Foundation at the University of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Price also taught art history at Rosemont College and regional adult enrichment programs. An active and generous supporter of arts and education, Mrs. Price has served on the boards of a number of Philadelphia organizations, including the YWCA of Germantown, White-William Scholars, The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology Women's Board, Central Friends of the Free Library, Awbury Arboretum, and the Vestry of Saint Martin in the Fields. She holds a bachelor of arts from Smith College and a master of arts from Bryn Mawr College. A resident of Chestnut Hill, Mrs. Price is married to Philip Price, Jr., Esq., a former state senator and current commissioner of the Fairmount Park Commission.

Mrs. Price succeeds Mr. Collin F. McNeil who will step into the role of Honorary Chair of The Historical Society’s Capital and Endowment Campaign, which will begin its planning phase later this year. In addition, Mr. McNeil will resume his previous role as a member of the Board of Councilors. Nominated to the Board in 1994, and assuming the Chair in 1999, Mr. McNeil’s leadership of The Historical Society resulted in a number of major achievements including the completion of first floor renovations designed by Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates; a successful merger with the Balch Institute of Ethnic Studies in 2002; the development of a new strategic plan in 2003; retiring approximately $5 million in debt in 2004; and receiving over $3 million in foundation support to continue processing and conserving our archival collections.

President of The Penjerdel Council and The Penjerdel Regional Foundation, and a boardmember of The Barra Foundation, Mr. McNeil’s expertise in journalism, business development, and fundraising, coupled with a deep love of history and an intimate understanding of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, makes him an ideal choice as Honorary Chair of the Capital and Endowment Campaign. Mr. McNeil, as a writer, will have his first book released in December 2008 by the Derrydale Press. Bright Hunting Morn is a history of Radnor Hunt, Malvern, PA on the occasion of its 125th anniversary on December 16, 2008.

Also new to the Board of Councilors:

Mr. Jerry J. Maginnis,

Managing Partner, KPMG, LLP Philadelphia
Mr. Maginnis has 28 years of experience in public accounting and has served as the engagement partner on public and privately held companies in a variety of industries. Presently he serves as the partner in charge of KPMG’s Audit Practice in Pennsylvania. Mr. Maginnis has extensive transaction experience, having worked on a variety of initial public offering and merger & acquisition transactions as well as selected high yield debt financing and leveraged recapitalization transactions. Mr. Maginnis is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is a board member of CEO Council for Growth, the World Affairs Council and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He holds a bachelor of science in accounting from St. Joseph’s University and is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania. Mr. Maginnis serves his community as a member of the Finance Committee of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Capital Campaign Committee at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, and the Executive Council of St. Joseph’s University’s Loyola Society.

Mr. Robert J. Rittenhouse,

Principal, Development Director, Aegis Property Group Philadelphia

Mr. Rittenhouse has 27 years of experience in real estate development and project management. He is responsible for the company’s development management activities in the corporate, R&D, higher education and institutional market sectors. He offers specialized expertise managing real estate development projects with complex technical or financial requirements. Prior to joining Aegis Property Group, Mr. Rittenhouse was program manager for GE’s Real Estate and Construction Operation and construction engineer with U.S. Steel. Mr. Rittenhouse holds a bachelor of science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s of business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Robert G. Souaid

CEO of Solis Healthcare, LP

Mr. Souaid is also the president of Ainsley Crescent Corporation, a real estate investment and development company. A veteran of the healthcare industry, he has owned and operated healthcare properties for the past thirteen years. Mr. Souaid’s former positions include: chief operating officer, Lion Bay Corp; chief operating officer, Crest Maine Corp. (a supplier of medical/surgical products to hospital group purchasing organizations); and division president, Warnaco Inc. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Roxborough Memorial Hospital Foundation and on the Board of Directors of Stonegate Bank in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Souaid holds a bachelor of arts from Lafayette College and a juris doctorate from Cornell Law School. He is admitted to the bar in both Florida and New York.

Mrs. Alice Lea Tasman

Corporate Development Associate for Wills Eye Hospital

Alice Lea Tasman is a corporate development associate for Wills Eye Hospital. She has also worked as a consultant for The Franklin Mint, public relations for WUHY-FM, assistant director for public relations for Philadelphia Museum of Art and as an instructor for American Cathedral in Paris. Ms. Tasman has written coloring books on flags and historic properties, is the author of Wedding Album: Customs and Lore Through the Ages and created the logo for the Chestnut Hill Community Association. Mrs. Tasman received her bachelor of arts from Barnard College and spent her junior year abroad at The Sorbonne in Paris, France. Mrs. Tasman has been a Lady of Dumbarton House and a trustee of Sulgrave Manor in England, George Washington’s ancestral home, and is also a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania, a special honor accorded by the governor for commitment to the citizens and communities of Pennsylvania. She was one of the founders and past president of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society. Mrs. Tasman currently serves on the boards of Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Women’s Board and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, of which she formerly served as president. She is also the past president of the Wills Eye Women’s Committee Board and the Art in City Hall Board. Among other awards, Mrs. Tasman has received the Louis Braille Award presented by the Associated Services for the Blind, and she has been on the Board of the National Exhibition of Blind Artists since its inception.

The Reverend Joseph P. Watkins
Associate Director of Government Relations at Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney PC Previously assistant state director to U.S. Senator Dan Quayle, assistant to the president of the University of Pennsylvania, and associate director in the Office of Public Liaison at the White House to President George H. W. Bush, Reverend Watkinscurrently serves asa political analyst for MSNBC and frequently appears as a political commentator and analyst on a number of local and national television and radio programs, including NBC's "The Today Show," CNBC's "Squawk Box,"and NPR's "News and Notes" segment. He also serves as co-host for CNN's "Crossfire" and has appeared on "Real Time with Bill Maher," "Sharp Talk" with Al Sharpton and WOL 1450 AM, an urban radio station in Washington, D.C. Mr. Watkins also holds a degree in divinity, and serves as the pastor of the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Philadelphia. He serves on the boards of Lankenau Hospital, Main Line Health, Youth Inc., and Steppingstone Scholars.

ABOUT HSP

Founded in 1824 in Philadelphia, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (www.hsp.org) collects and tells the stories of Pennsylvania. It is home to some 600,000 printed items and more than 21 million manuscript and graphic items. Its unparalleled collections encompass more than 300 years of America’s history—from its 17th century origins to the contributions of its most recent immigrants. The Society’s remarkable holdings together with its educational programming make it one of the nation's most important special collections libraries: a center of historical documentation and study, education, and engagement.