The museum is Linda’s labor of love, assumed in 2010, when the Museum Board was in the process of disbanding. I took on this challenge for a variety of reasons, but the key motivating factor was the thought of losing a ‘national” museum for my community. Through various times in my life, I’ve taken on projects needing strong advocacy to get an issue recognized and set out to develop a method to reach my goals by building a team with similar interests and determination.
My focus has always been on program development, fundraising and education, thus in that role, my skills were always utilized starting at an early age as a volunteer, summer and after school jobs in a dry cleaner and as a bank teller, advancing to a grade school teacher, director, administrator and consultant in addition to being an adjunct professor teaching management skills gained along my career path. With my undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Early Childhood Education, including a Masters’ Degree in Special Education from the College of Staten Island, I directed Summer Camp recreation programs, while teaching third and fourth grades during the school year.
My recreation background led me into a world of health care, landing a job as Director of Recreation and Volunteers in a 240-bed Nursing facility and advancing as Director to a 1,040-bed facility, eventually having my responsibilities double with two sites and over 2,000 beds, truly challenge in my extensive career. Along the way, I obtained my CTRS/ Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, obtaining a 6th. yr. Certificate from NYU in Recreation Management and Administration. I then realized my need to raise money to sustain the many programs I was connected to, thus pursuing further education, garnering a Certificate in Philanthropy and Fundraising from NYU.
My community involvement was always a part of my life and after work I would head off to the many organizations I felt a need to lend my support and advocacy efforts: the Metropolitan NY Recreation & Parks Society; NYS Therapeutic Recreation Association; Soroptimist International of Manhattan; College of Staten Island Alumni Association; Staten Island Not For Profit Association; Grasmere Civic Association; Grasmere & Cameron Lakes Blue Belt Conservancy etc. Throughout my extensive career, I’ve been recognized for many of my achievements, but my most memorable recognition and a key highlight in my life was receiving the Staten Island Advance Woman of Achievement/ Class of 2017 award! I’ve loved every minute of both my work history and my volunteer commitments and have no regrets as I continue my extensive role in achieving the full success of the National Lighthouse Museum, using all my transferrable skills, something everyone should understand and appreciate in furthering ones’ career goals.
