2025 Board of Directors – Calumet Heritage

OFFICERS

Gary Johnson (President)
Engaged in community development. Currently chairing 3 boards: CHP, Crisis Center in Gary, and the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest, and serving on other regional boards focused on economic and community development.

Tyrell Anderson (Vice President, Indiana)
A dedicated leader in the nonprofit sector, committed to historic preservation, community revitalization, and cultural advocacy. As the president of Decay Devils and member of other preservation organizations, he has played an instrumental role in advocating for restoration of historic sites, fostering public engagement, and driving initiatives that uplift underrepresented communities. His expertise spans grant acquisition, strategic planning, and program development, ensuring sustainable impact through collaborative efforts. – Decay Devils. https://www.decaydevils.org/

Gwen Stricker (Vice President, Illinois)
Architectural Designer and Preservationist at Nurture Architects.

David Klein (Treasurer)
Retired Stagehand in Chicago. Currently serves in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary as District Staff Officer, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, USCG 9th Western Region. Board Treasurer, Northwest Indiana Paddling Association. Certified Divemaster, crewing on Lake Michigan scuba diving boats. ACA Level 1 Coastal Kayak instructor. Lives in Whiting with UofC researcher and cats in numbers above the city ordinance limit.

Kathleen Tobin (Secretary)
Professor of History at Purdue Northwest. https://www.pnw.edu/people/kathleen-a-tobin/

Directors (in alphabetical order)

Adella Bass
The VP of the Riverdale Community Land Trust and the Health Equity Director at People for Community Recovery. As a resident of the Riverdale Community Area she has been a leader in that community’s oral history/ story work and thinking about and operationalizing how storytelling is a means for the community to organize and collectively vision towards transformative action.

Emiliano Aguilar, Jr.
Longtime resident of the Calumet Region and a reluctant transplant to South Bend, where he teaches at the University of Notre Dame. He has written about the Calumet Region in various formats and is involved with several historical organizations, is a member of the Association for the Wolf Lake Initiative, and a director with the Calumet Collaborative. He is interested in questions of labor, politics, and urban space.

Mark Bouman
Recently retired from the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum as Senior Environmental Social Scientist and is now a Scientific Affiliate.

Alexa Cano
Collections Care Coordinator for the Barker Mansion in Michigan City (Since January 2024) and was formerly their Visitor Service Coordinator (2022-2024). Additionally, Cano was formerly the Special Events coordinator for the Whiting Mascot Hall of Fame and was a 2020 Rose Award Recipient (South Shore CVA).

Mario Longoni
Lead Environmental Social Scientist, Keller Science Action Center, Field Museum. He has held leadership positions in the Chicago Cultural Alliance and the Calumet Outdoors Network.

Nikki Lopez
Chief Operating Officer of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. Before this role, Lopez served as the City of Hobart’s Director of Events. In this role, Lopez coordinated Hobart’s Lakefront Festival, “Dive-In Movies,” and numerous other events that emphasized the city’s local character and cooperation among its small businesses.

Lauren Pacheco
Lauren is a Mexican-American born and raised on Chicago’s southwest side. She is a civic practice artist and cultural worker with over fifteen years of arts administration, curation, and project management experience. Her background is grounded in social practice and public engagement with a personal mandate to responsibly and respectfully invest in communities. Many of her projects explore the intersection of space, people, and social impact. Today, Pacheco serves as a resource to policymakers and institutions in the public dialogue about issues that impact artists and creative enterprises. Lauren holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern University, and the School of the Art Institute. She is the Marilyn Thoma Creative Director at the Chicago Humanities Festival. Lauren lives in Gary, Indiana. www.destinationgary.com

Thomas Shepherd
Tom has spent years as an environmental and a community activist. He is involved in a number of groups and issues on Chicago’s south side, south suburbs, and across northern Indiana. As a co-founder and board member of the Midwest Underground Railroad Network, he is the lead organizer of their tours, presentations and other activities. Tom is also active in his Pullman neighborhood, and as an advocator of the region’s steel heritage.

Black Swihart
Indiana Landmarks – Director, Northwest Field Office.

Julie Zasada
Executive Director of Cedar Lake Historical Association which operates The Museum at Lassen’s Resort and Dewey Line resort history cruises on Cedar Lake. https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliesowiakzasada/

Past Board of Directors Lists

2024 Board of Directors
2023 Board of Directors
2022 Board of Directors
2021 Board of Directors
2020 Board of Directors
2019 Board of Directors
2018 Board of Directors
2017 Board of Directors
2016 Board of Directors
2015 Board of Directors
2014 Board of Directors
2013 Board of Directors