At its June 18 annual meeting, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) elected four officers and five new members to its Board of Governors.
Newly elected to three-year terms on the museum’s Board of Governors are Schuyler Benson, Fred Israel, Frank Marshall, Mitchell Reiss, and Diane Staley. Newly elected as board officers are Vice Chair Tom Seip, Treasurer James Harris, and Secretary Richard Tilghman, Jr. CBMM Chair CG Appleby was reelected to a second term.
The Board also recognized retiring governors Fred Cross, Jocelyn Eysymontt, Howard Freedlander, Alan Griffith, Doug Jurrius, Bill Millar, Mark Nestlehutt, Joe Peters, and Barbara Viniar for their service. At the meeting, retiring board members were presented a memento made from the original wood of the skipjack Rosie Parks, now under major restoration at CBMM through 2013.
“The museum is privileged to count among its governors some of the most accomplished and generous people in the region,” commented CBMM Chair CG Appleby. “We are pleased to benefit from the service of all our board members—retiring, continuing and new, and feel fortunate to have their talents and resources as key components in furthering the museum’s mission.”
New CBMM board member Schuyler Benson was born and raised in Easton, MD, and is currently employed with Benson and Mangold Real Estate. Benson earned a Bachelor’s degree from Hampden-Sydney College in Farmville, VA, before returning to the Eastern Shore to pursue his career in real estate. As a past president of the Mid-Shore Board of Realtors, Benson is active in the real estate community, having also served on the Maryland Association of Realtors. He currently serves on the boards of The United Fund of Talbot County and the Waterfowl Festival. Benson, his wife Jenny, and their two children live in Easton.
Fred Israel of Royal Oak, MD, earned his BSEE Engineering degree from New York City College. In 1957, he founded Fred Israel Associates, a consultant engineering liaison and technical marketing company. Israel later received his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University in 1963, opening the law offices of Fred Israel the same year, which later became Israel & Raley. Israel also co-founded Trident Labs in 1963 and Syscon Corp in 1966. In addition to serving on numerous boards, Israel has served as a Georgetown University Board of Regents member and the Academic Committee Chairman for Wheeling Jesuit University. He currently serves as president and board member of Temple B’Nai Israel in Easton. He and his wife Lesley have homes in Royal Oak, MD and Washington, D.C.
Frank Marshall, of Royal Oak, MD, joined the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in 1980 as company counsel after seven years on U.S. Army active duty in the Judge Advocate General Corps. In 1987, he moved to Litton Industries and in 1994 was elected Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. After Litton’s 2001 merger with Northrop Grumman, Marshall was appointed Vice President, Associate General Counsel, and Sector Counsel. After retiring from Northrop Grumman in 2009, Marshall was appointed to the Lockheed Federal Credit Union Board of Directors and currently serves on the Management Development and Compensation Committee, Finance Committee, and the Operations Committee. Marshall holds a Bachelor of Science Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Juris Doctor degree from Hastings College of the Law, University of California.
Mitchell Reiss, of Chestertown, MD, is the 27th president of Washington College. Reiss is a leading expert on American foreign policy and is internationally recognized for his negotiating skills during the Northern Ireland peace process and the North Korean nuclear crisis. During the past decade, Reiss held a number of leadership positions at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA, and held appointments in the School of Law and the Government Department. He currently serves on a number of boards and advises private sector companies and philanthropic organizations. Reiss has a law degree from Columbia Law School, a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University, a Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, and a Bachelor’s degree from Williams College. He is the author of various books, articles, and reviews.
Diane Staley, of Bozman, MD, has 25 years of marketing, advertising, strategic communications, public relations, sales and event experience in corporate and advertising agency executive positions. In 2002, Staley retired from her position as Senior Vice President of Interactive Marketing for AOL/Time Warner. Staley developed and implemented interactive marketing and advertising programs for national brands including General Mills, Citigroup, Target, Ford, Microsoft, and Warner Brothers. Staley received her Master’s degree in Public Relations/Mass Communications from Boston University and her Bachelor of Arts Journalism degree from Purdue University. She and her husband, Jeff, live in Bozman.
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is the leading institution for studying, preserving, exhibiting, and celebrating the rich maritime history, heritage, traditions, and culture of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal reaches. As a non-profit organization serving museum members and the general public, CBMM offers changing exhibits, a working boatyard, educational programming, boat rides, and annual festivals from its waterfront campus on the St. Michaels harbor. More information can be found at www.cbmm.org or by calling 410-745-2916.
