Board Members

Richard Heppner, President

Richard Heppner has served as Woodstock Town Historian since 2001. During this period, he has also served as a Board and Ex-Officio member of HSW. In addition to numerous essays for local media, he is the author of Woodstock’s Infamous Murder Trial – Early Racism in Upstate New York which was recently recommended by the Washington Post. He is also the author of Women of the Catskills, Woodstock – Everyday History, co-author with Janie Fallon-Mower of Legendary Locals of Woodstock and author of the forthcoming book, Woodstock – From World War to Culture Wars, published by SUNY Press. After serving in numerous academic positions over twenty-five years at Orange County Community College, he retired as Vice President of Academic Affairs at SUNY Orange and holds the rank of Professor Emeritus. Heppner is a former member of the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild’s Executive Board of Directors, and the former President of the Woodstock Artists’ Cemetery. He also served as a Woodstock Town Board member from 2017-2021. A graduate of Onteora High School, Heppner received his BA in Political Science/History from SUNY Albany and an MFA from the New School for Social Research in Media Studies.

Janine Mower, Vice President

Janine has a long-standing affiliation with the Historical Society of Woodstock. She is currently volunteering in the capacity of scanning images from the collection into Past Perfect. Janine is also updating the HSW obituary collection. An avid genealogist, local history researcher, and author, Janine is celebrating the 2022 release of her latest self-published work, One Marine’s Story- Corporal John L. Fallon U.S.M.C., a memoir penned by her father. The story is sprinkled with insights added by Janine and her brother. Retired from Health Alliance WCMC as an RN Case Manager, Janine now works with her husband John at Mower’s Saturday Sunday flea market in Woodstock. Having developed proficiency with social media marketing for Mower’s flea market, Janine now manages the HSW FB and Instagram pages. She has an ongoing interest in promoting local history to the public.

Kathy Crost, Treasurer

I lived in Woodstock during my junior high and high school years and attended Onteora. I practiced law in New York City for about 40 years; I retired a few years ago. I am interested in many aspects of Woodstock history, especially the lives of everyday people.

Selma Kaplan, Recording Secretary

Selma Kaplan has lived in Woodstock since 1997 and wouldn’t want to be anyplace else. In 2023 she retired from WAMC/Northeast Public Radio in Albany after a 30+ year career, emerging from behind the scenes three times a year to talk a lot during fund drives and help raise money to support the station. Back at home, she served for five years on the Woodstock Library Board and, more recently, on the HSW Advisory Committee. She is a piano player, specializing in backing up the traditional music of Scotland, Cape Breton, New England and Quebec. Most recently, she has been working with cellist Abby Newton, performing Scottish and Irish airs, rocking jigs and reels, and Baroque settings of Scottish tunes that delve deep into the spirit and history of a people and their music. Her recording credits include several projects with New York State fiddler George Wilson, two albums with the folk group Rude Girls, and a recording of Scots instrumental music with fiddler Jane Rothfield. A recording with Abby Newton is forthcoming.

Deborah Heppner, Corresponding Secretary

Deborah Heppner was born and raised in Woodstock. After a long career as a social worker, she retired five years ago. She is married to Town Historian Richard Heppner and is mother to Jonathan and Eliza and grandmother to Henry. Deborah was president of the Historical Society Board from 2007 to 2019, working in all areas of the Society, including fundraising, liaising with other community organizations, and curating many HSW exhibitions. After taking a year off, she is looking forward to returning to the HSW board and supporting the great work in this community.

Lewis Arlt

Born in Kingston, NY, and raised in Woodstock, Lewis is a veteran actor with 35 years’ experience performing on Broadway, regional theatre, and television, directing episodes, and penning numerous scripts for daytime soaps. After retirement, Lewis resettled in Woodstock, in his family home. He and his wife Juli enjoy various hobbies, and Lewis had launched a new career in the voice acting arena. Lewis was appointed to the HSW board in January 2020. He looks forward to working with the HSW board on special projects that will utilize his many talents.

Karyn Bevet

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Flip and Florence Bevet (Bevetsky). Moved to Norwalk, Connecticut in 1947 and attended Norwalk public schools. Attended The University School for high school and UCONN and The University of Bridgeport. I worked at family-owned business, Davey Pharmacy, for many years in many capacities. I preformed restaurant and office work in Connecticut before moving to Woodstock in October of 1969. I’ve held many jobs in Woodstock in the food and entertainment industry until becoming an RN in 1983, (UCCC). I was an RN at Benedictine Pediatrics and ICU for a large part of my nursing career as well as a couple of other hospitals. I moved into medical sales in Wound Care and Home Health Care in 1996 after a work-related injury. I was also an instructor in the Experimental Studies Dept. at SUNY New Paltz in the 1970s, teaching Environmental Issues, Organic Farming and Gardening and Organic Food Preparation. In addition, I taught science at The Community Free School as well as being a teen parent counselor through the YWCA in Kingston, working in Shandaken and Phoenicia.  

I am the proud mother of M. Bon Provenzano and Blanche Provenzano. When I decided to purchase a home, I worked 7 days a week in nursing for a year and a half to achieve my goal. I was also on the Board of Directors and recording Secretary with The Ulster County Dog Training Club. I have also been involved with dance and exercise all my life and have danced with The Raymond Johnson Dance Company, Isadora Duncan International Institute as well as others. I continue to teach dance. I am overjoyed to be part of The Historical Society of Woodstock. 

Michael Drillinger

Michael Drillinger is currently doing administrative and booking work for the High Meadow School in Stone Ridge. I do volunteer work projects around Woodstock as a member of the Geezer Corps. In addition to being on the board of the HSW, I am on the board of the Catskill Mountain Club, the Kingston Land Trust, and the volunteer chairman of the Ten Mile River Scout Museum. I am an avid Catskill hiker and a New York State Outdoor Guide, and I love history and local and Hudson Valley. I live in Woodstock with my wife, Rosalind Dickinson.

Rachel Reyes Jackson

Rachel grew up in Manila, worked in Singapore and moved to the US in 1986 to pursue higher studies. Post-graduation, she worked in finance. She and her husband Bruce made Woodstock their full-time home from 2013, after having been weekenders for 20 years prior. They love Woodstock’s rural feel, peaceful atmosphere, and unique personality. She serves on the HSW Board and is a member of its Resource Development Committee. She is a founding member of the new Woodstock Rotary Club and a board member at Ulster County Community College Foundation. Rachel wants to support HSW’s work of preserving and celebrating Woodstock’s history as well as expanding its audiences in an evolving community.

John F. “Jeff” Keithline

Jeff Keithline was born in 1954 and is married to Elizabeth Keithline. Working as a music professional since 1971, Jeff has also worked for 35 years in small business retail, managing building projects, and commercial real estate in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts. Prior to moving to Woodstock in 2019, Jeff served on the boards of several non-profit organizations in RI including as Treasurer of the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame from 2012 to 2019.

JoAnn Margolis

JoAnn holds a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the State University of New York at Albany and a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Wilkes University. She retired as a School Library Media Specialist at the Woodstock Elementary School and previously was a teacher and librarian at the Bennett School in Boiceville. In between her two stints with the Onteora School District, she was a jeweler and co-owner of “The Jewelry Store” in Woodstock. Her strong commitment to the Woodstock community includes serving on the executive boards of the Woodstock Public Library, the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and Arts, the Woodstock PTA, the Historical Society of Woodstock, as well as organizing many town-wide events. She received the 2024 Alf Evers Award for her many years of volunteer service in the Town of Woodstock.

JoAnn was the HSW archivist for over 20 years and a long-time board member until 2021. She worked to develop HSW policies and procedures and aided in writing and implementing grants. JoAnn curated several HSW exhibits and coordinated local history projects with students in area schools. She is excited about the proposed new archive storage building which will protect and preserve the unique HSW collection for future generations.

Jeffrey Miller

Jeffrey Miller is a composer whose works have been performed throughout the United States. After receiving his Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center, he had a long teaching career, primarily at Brooklyn College and California State University, East Bay. Also active as an arts administrator, he was Executive Director and Co-Artistic Director of the San Francisco new music presenter Composers, Inc. Jeff and his wife, designer, and artist Linda Livings, moved to Woodstock in 2018.

Bruce Weber

Bruce Weber is an independent art historian of American Art who has primarily been focusing in recent years on the historic Woodstock art colony in his writing, lecturing, and curatorial work. Over the course of his career, he has served as a curator at numerous institutions, including the Norton Museum of Art, National Academy Museum, and Museum of the City of New York. From 1990 to 2007, he was Director of Research and Exhibitions at Berry-Hill Galleries in New York City. Dr. Weber has curated numerous major exhibitions and written on various topics covering American art from the early nineteenth century to today. In 2020 he curated an exhibition of the landscapes of Otto Bierhals for the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum. In addition, he co-curated an exhibition of the art of Zuma Steele for the Kleinert/James Center of the Arts. Last fall, he curated the Tomas Penning show at the Woodstock School of Art. Since 2020 he has produced and written for the blog learningwoodstockartcolony.com.