Meet the Board
Ray Ezell - President - 2027
A resident of Orange since 2005, Ray Ezell is a regional archaeologist for the Virginia Dept of Transportation, responsible for the department's cultural resources compliance.
He is an active member of Orange Baptist Church and its clerk. He is also an Eagle Scout and currently serves as Council Historian of the Virginia Headwaters Boy Scout Council and on its Board of Directors.
Mark Hoerath - Vice President 2028
Mark is community oriented with significant volunteer activities and positions. He has volunteered for the Boy Scouts of America, Washington DC Region Sports Car Club of America, Rapidan River Master Gardeners, and Four County Players.
He loves domestic and international travel, and he says that bicycling and home improvement are fun! He lives in downtown Barboursville in a historic house with a lovely Southwest Mountains and vineyard view. He describes himself as, “always curious about lots of stuff.”
James Luther - Treasurer - 2027
James Luther began James Luther, P.C., a land surveying business in Orange, in 2003. He first started surveying in 1986. With local history being a natural part of his job, he enjoys learning all he can about the properties he surveys.
James has been married to his wife, Rene, for 28 years. Together, they have adopted several retired racing greyhounds. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to and playing music, and visiting family. He has volunteered to become the Society’s new treasurer.
May Saxton - Secretary - 2028
A native of Orange County, May and her husband Mike retired to Orange after being in other areas of the country for 40 years. Family roots and love of local history drew them back to this region. May was an elementary school teacher for 30 years.
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Currently, she volunteers with the Love Outreach Food Pantry and serves as the Society’s volunteer coordinator. She is also a member of the Society’s Education Outreach Team. She is a past trustee of the Graham Cemetery Association and a past board member of the Virginia Genealogical Society. May looks forward to serving as a board member; she hopes to promote awareness of the importance of local history. This will be May’s first term.
C. Thomas Chapman - 2029
A Virginia native, with a BA in History from James Madison University and an MA in Anthropology from The College of William and Mary, Tom is educated and trained as an archaeologist. He researched and produced the family genealogy for President James Madison as part of his master’s thesis.
He has over 20 years of historic site management experience working for James Madison’s Montpelier as an archaeologist, research historian, executive project manager and director of operations. He completed previous terms as a Director for the Orange County African-American Historical Society (2007-2015) and the Orange County Historical Society (2008-2013). In 2015, he transitioned to managing a large private agricultural and environment property where he oversaw a staff of thirty on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
He returned to Virginia in 2018 from the Eastern Shore and with his wife, started Westwind Flowers, LLC, a small business in Orange County, focusing on the production of locally grown and sustainable cut flowers. Recently, he was the executive director of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society (ACHS) from 2020-2025.
Jess Cifizarri - 2028
Jessica Cifizzari is an Orange County native who currently owns Paint It Orange, located on Caroline Street. She has served as the President of the James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage for the past four years. She is familiar with the many needs of the community and is actively involved in supporting projects that benefit both community members and local businesses. Jess has two children who both go to public schools in Orange.
​Patrick Colby - 2027
Patrick is a retired engineer and has served as the Society’s Building and Grounds chair and managed a number of maintenance projects and physical upgrades at our facility. Patrick has a keen interest in helping people and is especially interested in the history of Little Petersburg community. This will be Patrick’s first full term as an elected Director.
Jennifer Conley - 2026
Jennifer Conley is a lifelong resident of Orange County. She has resided in the historic community of Lahore for most of those years. After attending Bridgewater College, she returned home to teach locally, serving for the past 19 years as a history teacher at Prospect Heights Middle School. Her interests include researching genealogy and actively serving in her church, North Pamunkey Baptist.Â
She also enjoys singing, cooking, and making time for special memories with her husband.
Rod Hawkins - 2027
Rod was born at the Gordonsville Community Hospital in 1954 to Ray, Jean and Allen Hawkins and grew up on Blue Ridge Drive in Orange. He graduated from Orange County High School in 1973, graduated from Madison College ( JMU ) in 1978 with bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Elementary education. He started teaching at Prospect Heights in Orange in 1978 and taught Social Studies and Language Arts for 42 years. He has taught Behind the Wheel driver’s education at the high school since 1982. During his career, He coached football at Prospect for 12 years and coached football at OCHS 33 years. He coached track at Prospect and the high school for over 20 years. He coached wrestling at Prospect for 32 years. During that time, he also was Athletic Director at Prospect for approximately 32 years.
Beverly Ingle - 2029
Beverly holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science with a specialization in Archives and Records Management. Deeply committed to preserving local history and ensuring equitable public access, she brings expertise in collection development, digital preservation, metadata standards, and archival description. Beverly champions strategic digitization initiatives that connect communities and researchers with the county’s cultural record through thoughtfully curated collections. As a prospective board member, she seeks to strengthen the society’s archival programs, advance sustainable preservation practices, and foster partnerships that expand the visibility and use of the county’s historical resources.
Dr. Katie Crawford-Lackey - 2029
Katie is a public historian dedicated to using history as a tool for civic engagement and democratic participation. Currently the Chief Project Officer at James Madison’s Montpelier, she leads the strategic direction and implementation of organizational initiatives.
Prior to joining Montpelier in 2021, Dr. Crawford-Lackey worked at the National Park Service’s Cultural Resource Office of Interpretation and Education where she managed federal programs such as Teaching with Historic Places. She has worked extensively in cultural resource management, collaborating with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions to foster dialogue about the role of history in civic life. She earned her doctorate in public history from Middle Tennessee State University in 2020 and was the Orange County Historical Society’s keynote speaker at our 60th anniversary reception in 2025.
Patrick McAloon - 2027
After completing an undergraduate degree in East Asian Studies at the College of William & Mary, McAloon lived and worked in China for two and a half years. Upon returning to the U.S. in 2001, he earned a graduate degree in Chinese language pedagogy at Ohio State University. In 2021, McAloon and his wife bought the ca. 1830 Holladay House in downtown Orange. McAloon is a member of the James Madison Museum, Norfolk & Western Historical Society, Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Orange Rotary Club, and Town of Orange Industrial Development Authority.
All Officers serve from February 1 through January 31
STAFF
Jayne E. Blair
Ruth M. Long
Jean McGann​​
Ann L. Miller, Research Historian
The Orange County Historical Society, Inc.
130 Caroline Street, Orange, Virginia 22960-1533
(540) 672-5366
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