EWP Team
The project is blessed to have many volunteers, with a wide range of skills and backgrounds. We invite the public to bring their curiosity and time to the effort. The following is a partial list.
Be curious and Objective in Research
- Larry Roeder, MS is the CEO and founder of the project and the Society. Mr. Roeder is a retired diplomat with extensive experience in disaster management, the preservation of culture, information management and other topics of value to the project. He also led the Conklin Village project, an exploration of a predominantly African-American village. He is also a former Chair for Research, the Black History Committee of the Friends of the Balch Library.
- Anthony Arciero, PhD is the Director of the Project and a member of the Board of Directors of the Edwin Washington Society, the parent 501(c)(3) for the Edwin Washington Project.
- Nathan Bailey is in charge of research on transportation matters. He also creates YouTube videos for the Society.
- Shawn Beyer, Regent, Cameron Parish DAR is a new volunteer.
- Patricia Dean helps explain the experience of former students and parents at Conklin. She is a descendant of Jennie Dean, one of the founders of the Prosperity Baptist Church.
- Jim Damaré is researching information recovered by the Library of Congress for the Society. LC recovered lost data covered by newsprint pastedowns in a 1913-1920 ledger, by using multispectral imagery. Jim is now interpreting that data.
- Gertrude Evans is a member of the Black History Committee and conducts transcription projects aimed at identifying who studied and taught at “colored” schools.
- Maddy Gold is the Chief Cartographer. She was formerly with the B.L.M., Bureau of Land Management. Ms. Gold is developing an on-line map showing former schools and transportation routes.
- Julie Goforth is the Chief Technology Officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Edwin Washington Society. Mrs. Goforth manages our web presence and digital preservation efforts. She currently works at the Library of Congress as a digital project specialist on The HistoryMakers collection. She also works with the Smithsonian Institution Archives, the Waterford Foundation, and Oatlands Historic House & Gardens. She is assisted by Web Developer Robert Goforth.
- Kerri Gonzalez helps us understand the role of Foxcroft in supporting African-Americans and economically challenged white populations during the Depression, and during World Wars I and II.
- Barry Harrelson is the senior editor for the society.
- Sharon Knipmeyer partners with the project on Ashburn Colored School and the treatment of gifted children. She is with the Loudoun School for the Gifted.
- Carolen Lester is researching the genealogy of Edwin Washington.
- Vonda McCrae is researching the signatories of petitions, in order to better understand their history.
- Kasey Morris (volunteer alum) advised on archaeological matters, especially our efforts uncovering the Bluemont Colored School. Kasey graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in Classics. Her undergraduate research focused on Julio-Claudian island exile and won the departmental prize for best senior thesis. After Princeton, she completed her masters degree in Classical Archaeology at the University of Oxford.
- David Prebich is in charge of processing petitions written in the 19th and early 20th centuries by white and Black citizens.
- Kathy Reid (volunteer alum) managed research projects on libraries and the role of teachers in religion. Currently, Pastor Carlos Lawson of the Prosperity Baptist Church is the Society Pastor and coordinates research on religion.
- Hari Sharma is the professional accountant helping the Edwin Washington Society. He is also a member of the Board of Directors.
- Neil Steinberg is Vice President of the Society and the society's principal photographer.
- Dorothy Washington is a member of the Black History Committee and conducts transcription projects aimed at identifying who studied and taught at “colored” schools.
