The Bedford we love today wouldn’t exist without the Bedford Historical Society. And the Historical Society can’t exist without members who support it.

Join us and help continue our mission

of preservation.

The Bedford Historical Society is governed by a Board of Directors whose 21 members are elected by the general membership at its Annual Meeting in May. Members of the Board serve terms of three years and officers are elected annually by the Board. The Board meets monthly, usually on the second Monday of the month. The bylaws of the organization are available on request.

Peter T. Michaelis, Chairman
Kirtley H. Cameron, President
Stacy E. Albanese, Vice President

Dina L. Clason, Treasurer
John Horn, Secretary

Cyndi Azima

Katherine Bang

George Bianco

Whitney Brown

Paula M. Desperito
Melissa S. Fleming
S. Parker Gilbert, Jr.
Timothy M. Ghriskey

Benjamin H. Ginnel

Kurt B. Harrison
Russell T. Hernandez
Ann G. Hoffman
Erik P. Jacobsen

Christian Jussel
Tricia Swift
Email: board@bedfordhistoricalsociety.org

Lloyd Bedford Cox, Jr., Director Emeritus
John J. Stockbridge, Town Historian

Being involved in the Bedford Historical Society has given me the opportunity to satisfy my love of history and also have a direct impact on how to preserve the historical assets we cherish. When I’m asked why I live in Bedford, I usually respond that it is the furthest south I can live and still feel like I live in New England. We have much to be thankful for here in Bedford and it makes me feel good to be able to keep Bedford looking as it has for more than 230 years.
Peter Michaelis - Chairman, Board of Directors

Peter and his wife, Victoria, have lived in Bedford for over 20 years. Raised in Cambridge MA and Washington, DC, Peter is a graduate of Concord Academy and Brown University where he received his degree with honors in Political Science.

Peter worked for 13 years as a television producer at both ABC News and CBS News, traveling extensively and working on shows like West57th, This Week with David Brinkley, Nightline and World News Tonight. After leaving CBS, he worked as a freelance producer before leaving television all together. He then became the founder, President and CEO of WINDTech Int’l LLC, a producer of low-wind, water pumping windmills for use in developing countries.

Peter enjoys being involved in Bedford and has served the community in various capacities. In addition to serving on the Board of the BHS, Peter is a Trustee of the Friends of John Jay Homestead and serves on the Town of Bedford’s Zoning Board of Appeals. He spent three years working on the Town of Bedford’s Master Plan and is a CERT member. He is the chairman of the Town’s Communications Commission and a member of the Town’s Tree Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Westchester Land Trust and the Bedford Riding Lanes Association.

A dedicated and involved father of his two sons, Peter (17) and Drew (15), Peter has also coached Little League and youth soccer in the community and enjoys tennis and photography in his free time.

I believe the Bedford we love today would not exist without the Historical Society and its mission of preservation. We are fortunate that the town, with the help of organizations such as the Historical Society, has successfully protected itself from over-development prevelant in nearby areas. Ultimately, however, the best preservation tool is not regulation of legislation, but a strong awareness and appreciation amoug our residents for this town and its unique historic quality.
Kirtley Cameron - President, Board of Directors

A Bedford resident since 2003, Kirtley grew up in Newport, RI and attended Saint George’s School and Middlebury College. She worked in the art auction business at Sotheby’s New York and London before returning to school where she earned her Master’s Degree in Architecture at Columbia. Kirtley, her husband Seth who grew up in Bedford, and their two daughters now live in one of the historic homes in Bedford Village.
Kirtley’s introduction to the Historical Society was as a volunteer working on our photo archives and, specifically, records relating to the historic buildings in and around Bedford Village. Her love and appreciation for the town and its history has continued to grow and expand, and she considers her leadership in the Historical Society to be an incredible opportunity to give back to the town and to help preserve that history for future generations.

She worked at Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects during graduate school. In 2005 she founded Kirtley Cameron Architecture + Design, working on primarily residential projects with a focus on historic restoration and preservation. Kirtley is active in local preservation, serving on the Bedford Village Historic District Review Commission and working with that Commission and the town on the Bedford Village Preservation Plan. She is a member of the Friends of John Jay Homestead and the Westchester Land Trust.
Kirtley is also committed to education as a Trustee of Saint Michael’s School in Newport, RI, a member of the Middlebury College Arts Council and a past President of the New York Chapter of the Middlebury College Alumni Association. Kirtley’s hobbies include running, golf, horseback riding and any opportunity to get outside with her kids.

Staff

Preservation has become my passion and I’m deeply committed to keeping Bedford’s historic vista intact. Sharing Bedford’s unique heritage allows me to share my love of all things old – objects, architecture, art, landscape – and to connect the history of those things with the living village that Bedford is today. One of my favorite parts of my job is seeing the reaction of a new visitor to the 1787 Court House; I open the door, they walk in, pause, and say “Wow, this is cool.”
Lynn Ryan, Executive Director

Evelyne (Lynn) Ryan joined the Bedford Historical Society part-time in 1996 and became the first full-time Executive Director in 2001. Raised in the tri-state area around New York, she attended Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, Kirkland College in Clinton, NY and St. Peter’s College, Oxford, England. She is a cum laude graduate of Boston University where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and received her degree with distinction in English Language and Literature.

She enjoyed a nine year career as an Assistant Vice President at Sotheby’s New York, working first in Oriental Rugs and Carpets and later as a Business Manager for five decorative arts departments before assuming responsibility for the Fine Arts Division. After the birth of her second child she returned part-time to the office of the Sr. Vice President of Finance and Operations where she improved administrative systems in expert departments and trained department staff. She later became responsible for numerous special projects in many aspects of Sotheby’s business.

She left Sotheby’s when she moved to Westchester in 1987 and devoted the next years to raising her three children and becoming active in the community. When not running around the Village Green, camera in hand, she can be found on a tennis court, deep into a book, or casting a dry fly.

Sophia Bernier, Communications, Events & Administration
Sophia Bernier joined the Bedford Historical Society after taking time off from her career to raise her children and manage a Marketing Consulting business. Born and raised in Connecticut, Sophia attended college there and worked in Connecticut until relocating to New York in 1991. She's held a variety of positions involving marketing and communications. Sophia hopes to start her all girl cow bell band in the near future.

Benjamin C. Branch, Properties Consultant