WHO WE ARE
Chair - Sam Pickard
Sam Pickard was first appointed to the Heritage Commission in 2021. He was born and raised in the Lawrence Park section of Marple Township and now lives in the St. Albans neighborhood of Newtown Square. He serves as the president of the Marple Historical Society and sits on the board of the 1696 Thomas Massey House. Since 2020, he has researched and authored a blog on Marple Township history. He is a preservation planner in AECOM’s Cultural Resources group, where he works alongside archaeologists and architectural historians. Sam has BA in history from La Salle University, an MS in city & regional planning from Temple University, and a certificate in historic preservation from Bucks County Community College.
Vice Chair - Karen Micka
Karen Micka has been a lover of American and local history since grade school. In high school, history was a favorite subject. She went to the monthly World Affairs Council Meetings in Philadelphia when in high school.
She has never lost her love of history which lead her to be a board member of the Delaware County Historical Society (Chair, co-Vice Chair, Lecture Chair), a board member for close to 20 years with the Friends of the Swedish Cabin, a longtime board member of the Aston Historical Society (President, Vice President, Treasurer and now Recording Sec.), founding member of DCHPN, co-founder of the Western Delaware County Historic Tour group, and a member of the Delaware County Heritage Commission. She loves visiting historical sites and finding out new information about history. “To me, history is very exciting!”
Secretary - Beth McCarrick
Beth McCarrick has been a resident of Delaware County all of her life and has lived in Bethel Township for over 30 years. She is currently the Chairman of the Bethel Township Preservation Society. She and her daughter Faith wrote "Images in America - Bethel Township, Delaware County," for Arcadia Publishing with the help of the Bethel Township Preservation Society. She has also been a presenter at Delaware County Community College's Elder Week focusing on history.
Robin Craren
Robin has been a resident of Drexel Hill for the past 6 years but moved to the Philadelphia area in 2010. She grew up in New England and moved here to attend graduate school at Temple University for art history. She currently works at the Barnes Foundation where she manages and performs research of its art collection. She has a particular interest in the ownership history of works of art as it shows how a work of art moved through history and place. She has always held an interest in local and cultural history and is interested in engaging with and preserving Delaware County’s history.
Emma Leuschner
Emma Leuschner grew up across the United States as part of an Air Force family. She is a board member and volunteer at the Concord Township Historical Society and serves on their Research Committee. Emma compiled the National Register nomination for the Pennock E. Sharpless House which was designated in 2024. She maintains several public history websites related to Concord Township. She also volunteers at the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center as part of their Education Committee. Emma lives in Glen Mills with her husband and two little boys.
Joshua Phillips
Josh Phillips currently lives in Glen Mills and has been a Delaware County resident for 9 years. He is a Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences at Penn State Brandywine with a particular interest in researching cultural narratives: The stories that we tell and retell influence how we understand and shape our world. In 2016, he published his book “Homeless: Narratives from the Street” documenting the stories of the homeless. He has also been coaching wrestling at Strath Haven High School since 2015. He received his PhD from Southern Illinois University in 2014.
Twyla Simpkins
Twyla ‘Ms. T’ Simpkins taught in the Chester Upland School District for 35 years before retiring in 2008 and becoming the Founding Director of the Yes We Can Achievement and Cultural Center (formerly the YWCA Chester), a Chester-based 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the elimination of racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity. She plays an active role in the Chester community, participating in many events as an archivistorian and storyteller. A graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, holding a BS in Secondary English Education, her hobby has become a passion. Nicknamed "Chester's modern-day historian", Ms. T brings to many projects the institutional memory as well as a profound understanding of both the local history of Chester and its place in the larger history of the region and country. She regularly contributes to the humanities-based, community revitalization efforts of Chester Made and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, assisting with the delivery of local history programming for events as well as her on-going work with students from Widener University, Swarthmore College and other area educational institutions. She also continues to enjoy adding to her extensive black memorabilia collection and completing historical documentaries of 'Precious Places' in the Chester vicinity.
Kelly Townsend
Kelly was born & raised in Delaware County where she spent a good portion of her life. She grew up in Aston and presently lives in Lansdowne. She currently is a board member of the Upper Darby Historical Society. For many years, Kelly has been passionate about photographing historic properties all over Delaware County and in different areas of PA. She has also photographed historic properties in NJ, DE, MD, NY and all over the State of Florida where she spent 20 years. Kelly believes it is very important for people to see the history out there that we have in Delaware County. “Most people do not realize how much history there is until they see photos.”
Rev. Alexis Washington
Rev. Alexis L. Washington was appointed to the Delaware County Heritage Commission in 2025. She is the pastor of Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church in Media, the county’s oldest African American congregation, where she also founded the Campbell Community Center to support youth, families, and neighborhood revitalization. She helped secure a Preserving Black Churches Grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to advance the church’s restoration and preservation. She also serves on the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia Steering Committee and the Media Archives Commission, working to preserve and share the region’s diverse history. In addition to her preservation work, Rev. Washington is an elementary school counselor in the William Penn School District and a Holmes Scholar pursuing her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Organizational Change, and Policy at Temple University. She serves on the First Episcopal District African Methodist Episcopal Church Women in Ministry Executive Board as Treasurer, the Executive Board of the Media Area NAACP as Chaplain and Chair of Religious Affairs, and is active with the League of Women Voters and the National Congress of Black Women Delaware County Chapter, where she contributes nationally through the Committee on Youth Development.
Carla Welsh
Carla Welsh is a self-taught researcher, writer, genealogist, and historian with a passion for uncovering Delaware County’s earliest stories. She has been published in historical journals in New Jersey, and her research is archived in repositories in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 2025, she published The Push of Power: Reexamining the Pennsylvania Witchcraft Trial of Margaret Matson. Her work has earned her a Delaware County Preservation Award, coverage by WHYY, and inclusion in the upcoming documentary For the Common Good: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation. A lifelong resident of the area and a descendant of early New Sweden settlers, she is committed to preserving local history and strengthening community pride.
Kelli Wilson
Kelli was raised in the Germantown/Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia and moved to Yeadon in 2009. She is the Chair of the Yeadon Borough Historical Commission. Since childhood, she has enjoyed visiting historic neighborhoods. More recently, she spends her time enjoying historic lectures and taking courses in Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania.
HERITAGE COMMISSION OF DELAWARE COUNTY
