BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Denise Thomas
President
Executive, Governance, and Little Red Schoolhouse/Accessibility Committees
Recently retired from WesBanco, previously known as Premier Bank after 42 years (at various banks.). Current: Member of Flag City Morning Rotary Club, President of Old Mill Stream Foundation and AAA Mid States Board of Director. Husband - Graham, 3 children and 8 grandchildren.
What is your favorite exhibit, artifact, or program at the museum, and why? “My favorite site is the Little Red School House campus. My three children all enjoyed a day of school in the building, dressed in period clothes and learning about what school the school day was like in the “old days.” The campus includes the beautiful Bruchlacher Park created in partnership with Findlay Kiwanis, and the red barn that is now used to host Fun Shop events for the Children’s Mentoring Connection. It’s a great example of collaboration within our community."
What is your favorite fact about Hancock County History? "Fun fact - The first circus came to Findlay in 1898 and was held on vacant land off South Main Street. A circus parade of elephants walking through the downtown area while some people dressed for the occasion in hats, suits and long dresses stood off to the side of the road and others are watch through open windows in the upper floors of the buildings. There’s a great photo of available through the museum that really brings this to life!"
Logan Metzger
Vice President
Executive, Finance, Buildings & Grounds, and Little Red Schoolhouse/Accessibility Committees
Logan is an owner and Controller at Metzger Brecheisen Company – a Findlay company specializing in residential and commercial construction. He is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance. Logan’s family has lived in Hancock County for many generations and have deep ties to the community. Fun fact – when he’s not busy growing his business to be Findlay’s Best Construction Company (three years running!) Logan enjoys flying his paramotor – a parachute with a backpack engine and prop.
What do you value most about the Hancock Historical Museum? “I very much value the relationships I have gained through serving as a board member at the museum, but I also value the preservation of our community’s history. Without the Hancock Historical Museum, there wouldn’t be a centralized resource to serve our community and preserve our local history.”
Cathi Kisseberth
Treasurer
Executive and Finance Committees
Cathi Kisseberth grew up in Hancock County, graduating from Arlington High School. She earned degrees from The University of Findlay and Bowling Green State University and is also a licensed CPA. Since 2021 she has served as CEO of Hancock Federal Credit Union and is involved in several non-profit boards in the community. She resides in Arlington with her husband Brandon and daughter Peyton. Cathi loves to learn about history and experience new cultures when she travels, and she has a bucket list goal of visiting all 50 states.
What do you value most about the Hancock Historical Museum and why? “I value the team that is very passionate about the work the museum does. Staff are so caring and want to help people learn through interesting activities and events. It's not just a place to walk through quietly, it's a place for hands on learning for all ages."
What is your favorite exhibit, artifact, or program at the museum, and why? "My favorite program at the museum is the homes tour. It is fascinating to see the different historical homes in our community and learn more about the people who have lived there over the years."
Gwen Pahl
Secretary
Executive and Buildings & Grounds Committees
Gwen is a 1975 graduate of Arcadia HS where her love of history began. She moved to Findlay in 1976 and raised her three children here. She retired after 41 years of service from Whirlpool Corp. She is currently Treasurer for the Altrusa Club of Findlay, where she previously served as President. She has been an active volunteer at the Museum for many years, and is a member of their Speakers Bureau. Gwen and her husband Ron have a photography studio in the Jones Building, and enjoy making memories with their 6 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter, and their 3 huskies.
What is your favorite exhibit, artifact, or program at the museum, and why? “I enjoy giving the Hull house tours to the many elementary students who come to enjoy a day of learning at our museum. It's so fun to take them back in time to the Victorian Era when this home was built and let them think of life back then compared to all the modern conveniences we enjoy today. I also love sharing Findlay history at our monthly Speakers Bureau presentations at the area nursing homes. The attendees are so full of memories to share."
What do you think makes Hancock County a unique or special place to live? "We have such a rich history and each community in Hancock County has been embracing their heritage with festivals, and Heart and Soul events. Many have established social media accounts to share photos and memories, it shows how much pride there is in each small community."
Alan Hackenberg
Immediate Past President
Executive and Governance Committees
Judge Alan Hackenberg was born and raised in Findlay and graduated from Findlay High School. He was appointed to the Findlay Municipal Court Bench in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. Prior to being appointed, Alan served as Assistant City Law Director for the City of Findlay for 22 years, and was a partner in the law firm Hackenberg, Beutler, Rasmussen and Feighner, LLC. Alan and his wife, Amy, have two children. He’s a fan of the classic comedy “Caddyshack,” and when he has some free time, you may catch Findlay’s own Judge Smails on the course at the Findlay Country Club!
What is your favorite exhibit, artifact, or program at the museum, and why? “Oktoberfest! It celebrates Findlay's German heritage and showcases Findlay and Hancock County and lets everyone see what a vibrant and engaging community we are."
Why is local history important to you? ""Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana. As we move forward in time, our past must always be present with us on the journey."
John Koehler
Founder’s Seat
Executive, Finance, and Marketing & Fundraising Committees
John holds the Founder’s Seat on the Hancock Historical Museum Board of Trustees. He has been an attorney for more than 40 years, practicing primarily in estate planning and tax law. While he is a Findlay native, John enjoys some of Kentucky’s finest – including good bourbon and horses. He attended the Kentucky Derby, with grandstand seats near the finish line, for nearly 25 years.
What do you think makes Hancock County a unique or special place to live? "The members of this community for they are most willing to give of their time and expertise to make this a wonderful community to live in."
What is your favorite exhibit, artifact, or program at the museum, and why? "The Transportation Building is my favorite place on the campus of the museum which displays the transportation history of our community from the discovery of gas, which has resulted in the existence of Marathon Petroleum Corporation and its predecessors, to the building of automobiles, to the creation of Cooper Tire and Rubber Company. Due to this history this community has flourished and provided a good living to all those who have lived here."
Katie Abbott
Dan Chudzinski, M.F.A
Dan is the Director of the University of Findlay’s Mazza Museum, home to the world’s first and largest collection of original art from picture books. He is also an award-winning artist, whose work has been collected and displayed internationally. Throughout various chapters of his life, he has worked as a zoo taxidermist, apprenticed under master marble carvers in the mountains of Northern Italy, made functional artillery pieces for film and television, and created totem poles with Tlingit master carvers in Alaska. An image of his sculpture, Evasive Species, will be placed in a time capsule on the South Pole of the moon later this year.
Why is local history important to you? “Ultimately, local history is a living thread that connects us to our roots, informs our present, and guides our path ahead."
What is your favorite fact about Hancock County History? "David Copperfield featured the Charles H. Bigelow House in his magic act during his 1995 television special, The Magic of David Copperfield XVI: Unexplained Forces."
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Dr. Christine Denecker
Marketing & Fundraising Committee
Christine (Jolliff) Denecker, PhD. was born and raised in Arlington, Ohio, where her family has lived for generations. A graduate of Bluffton College and Bowling Green State University, Christine currently serves as interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at University of Findlay. Prior to that role, she was an English professor and department chair. In 2013, Christine and Sarah Sisser (former HHM director) collaborated on the grant-funded Ohio Farm Stories project, which featured local century farms. She also partnered with the museum for several years on a “Night at the Museum” project where graduate students in University of Findlay’s Master of Rhetoric and Writing program conducted research, applied rhetorical theory, and gave presentations on museum archive materials. Christine and her husband, Greg, have two grown sons and live in Bluffton, Ohio.
What is your favorite exhibit, artifact, or program at the museum, and why? “I love the 1950s exhibit, because my students helped develop it!"
What do you value most about the Hancock Historical Museum and why? "I value the collaboration between the museum and the University, the county, and community members. Hancock Historical Museum knows its strength is in collaboration and storytelling, and it leans into that."
Melissa Ebel
Governance and Little Red Schoolhouse/Accessibility Committees
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Tyler Johnson
Building & Grounds Committee
Don Malarky
Building & Grounds and Little Red Schoolhouse/Accessibility Committees
Since relocating from the Indianapolis area in 2007, Don and his wife, Ann, have made Findlay their new hometown. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Don retired from Marathon Petroleum in 2020 after 35 years of service. Don worked in various positions of engineering, project management, community service, and leadership in seven different locations across the enterprise. In his high school days, Don worked at the Licking County Airport in Heath, OH as an assistant in general office and aircraft support, washing and waxing small planes for extra cash on the weekends to fuel his ’72 orange colored VW Karmen Ghia.
What is the most memorable concert you’ve attended? “I would probably have to say Meatloaf in October ‘77 as the “Bat out of Hell” album was just released. It was in a small venue on the outskirts of the UC Campus. The venue was a bar with standing cafe tables and a small stage and Meatloaf was about an hour late for the show. However, he made it worth the wait and the show was great because he performed the entire album, which turned out to be a rock-n-roll classic.”
Tracy McMath
Marketing & Fundraising Committee
Tracy McMath was born and raised in Findlay, graduating from Findlay High School, Miami University, and the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She and her husband, Jeff, started their married lives in the Greater Cincinnati area where they thoroughly enjoyed the amenities big city living has to offer. In 2002, they had the opportunity to move home to Findlay and took it. For Tracy, Findlay has always been “the center of the universe.” Tracy became thoroughly reacquainted with Findlay and Hancock County through her work as Development Officer for the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation. In 2020-21, Tracy worked for 50 North where her role entailed finalizing the capital campaign for its beautiful facility on Melrose Avenue. Tracy and her husband have four adult children, two canine children, two retired 4-H horses and a flock of free-range chickens. Tracy believes in the power of history to equip our young people to be active and positive participants in our community and our world.
What do you value most about the Hancock Historical Museum and why? “I appreciate the HHMA's role in preserving local history. We eventually lose people's memories--but not the ones the Museum has preserved."
What is your favorite exhibit, artifact, or program at the museum, and why? "I love the Miller's Exhibit. As a child I ate there with my family at least one time per week. I recall my father, Jim Miller, greeting "Brother Miller" each visit, performing his magic at the grill."
Joe Recker
Building & Grounds Committee
Nancy Sheaffer
Nancy Sheaffer has spent her life blending a love of history with a commitment to people. A 1977 graduate of Findlay High School, Nancy went on to earn her BA in History/ Education from Heidelberg University in 1981. She began her career in the corporate world as an account executive for the Chrysler Motors account at Ross Roy Advertising, where she worked until 1991. Taking time off to raise her two children, Nancy spent countless hours volunteering at the schools they attended. In time, her passion for learning and teaching led her to a permanent position in the classroom, where she inspired students as a History and Social Studies teacher at Donnell Middle School for 20 years. Now retired, Nancy is extremely proud of her years in the classroom and considers it her most rewarding professional experience.
What do you think makes Hancock County a unique or special place to live? “I believe Hancock County is a unique and special place to live because it offers the best of both worlds—small-town warmth and strong community ties, along with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Neighbors look out for one another, local schools invest in their students, and traditions are celebrated across generations in this place we call home."
Why is local history important to you? "Local history is important because it connects people to stories, struggles, and successes. Our history isn’t just about dates and names—it’s about understanding the values and decisions that built the community, so they can be preserved and carried forward."
Committees
Executive
President: Denise Thomas
Vice President: Logan Metzger
Treasurer: Cathi Kisseberth
Secretary: Gwen Pahl
Immediate Past President: Hon. Alan Hackenberg
Founder's Seat: John Koehler
Finance
Cathi Kisseberth, Chair
John Koehler
Logan Metzger
Governance
Melissa Ebel
Hon. Alan Hackenberg
Denise Thomas
Building & Grounds
Tyler Johnson
Don Malarky, Chair
Logan Metzger
Gwen Pahl
Joe Recker
Marketing & Fundraising
Chris Denecker
John Koehler, Chair
Tracy McGrath
Little Red Schoolhouse/Accessibility
Melissa Ebel
Don Malarky
Logan Metzger, Chair
Denise Thomas