As of Jan. 1, 2024, the Upper Milford Historical Society will have a new president and new vice president.

Both officers were elected unanimously at the October meeting of the UMHS, which was the last meeting of the year.

President Mark Benjamin grew up in Emmaus and is married to the former Sue Lord, of Upper Milford. Lifetime residents of the Lehigh Valley, the couple now lives in the house in which Sue spent her childhood. They raised their four children in Upper Milford Township and now have three grandchildren, with two more on the way.

Benjamin started his employment mainly in local manufacturing but eventually made his way into the IT field. In 2013, he joined St. Luke’s Hospital where he designs and builds digital automations.

“I certainly plan to use some of this knowledge in helping the UMHS in the digital realm – where needed,” Benjamin said.

His interest in history began when he was young and eventually included genealogy as a major hobby. With that and family roots already deep in this community, becoming a member of the Upper Milford Historical Society in 2018 seemed like an obvious next step.

He said, “We surely do have a wonderful group of people that are members of UMHS, and they already have achieved much. My hope for the future here is to continue that process with more outreach to the families and businesses that call this area their home, as we build off the past and grow into our future. With the other board members, and dedicated folks that never miss an event, I have no doubt that we will.”

Vice President Gary Heller is a transplant from, most recently, southeast Wisconsin, where he and his wife, Marlene, were members of the Ozaukee County Historical Society.

“My involvement in historic societies began when my wife suggested that in order to have a successful retirement, I needed to find a passion I had, that I wasn’t able to address while working full time. History and photography were the passions that came to mind, and I put them together,” Heller said.

The result can be seen on his website, www.historicrescue.com.

Starting in Wisconsin, and continuing once the couple relocated to Upper Milford Township, Heller made the rounds of every historical society within a few miles’ drive. He offered to take photos of the buildings these societies were preserving, as most were using either out-of-date photos or just pencil sketches, with the caveat that the photos be used for marketing and fundraising.

Heller has been very active with the UMHS since moving to the area in 2018. Heller began the process of photographing all the artifacts, to have a record of everything in the archive and helped to improve the computer system and purchase professional quality software for the society that links up with other societies, making research easier and faster.

Other members of the board who are not changing this year are Jerald Lagler, treasurer and Marlene Heller, secretary. Neil Moser will also continue in his post as historian/archivist.

John Fegley retires his position as president for the second time and Vice President Lori Fegley resigned her position due to “significant changes in my life” while at the same time nominating both Mark Benjamin and Gary Heller for their positions.

The first program of 2024 will take place Jan. 25, 2024 and will be a “Discovery Night” wherein members and guests bring gadgets, nostalgic items, photos and memories to share.