Here you can learn more about the team dedicated to continuing the preservation of Kent's history. Have a question for our team? See the ways you can contact us.
Jack Amrhein is a graduate of Kent State University with a degree in social studies and a minor in secondary education. He received his Masters degree in Instruction in 2003 from Marygrove College. Amrhein worked as a social studies teacher in the Kent City Schools for 32 years. He has served on Kent City Council and the Kent Board of Health since 2008. Amrhein has served on the board of trustees of the Kent Historical Society for the past 23 years, the last three as President.
E: jamr964@aol.com
Joanne Fenn consults on data entry of artifacts, updating collections policy, and revamping of storage & archives at KHS. Fenn is Associate Professor and Collections Manager/Museum Registrar for KSUM and has been working in the museum field since 1991. She is responsible for both the intellectual and physical organization of the 30,000+ piece collection. She coordinates incoming and outgoing loans, exhibitions, accessioning, insurance, transportation, and all of the contracts and records management that accompanies each. She teaches a collections-related workshop and is active in state and regional professional organizations. She has a BA in art history, an MA in arts administration and an MLIS.
E: khs@kentohiohistory.org
Bengt George Joined KHS in June of 2021 as the collections manager/administrative assistant. George has lived in Kent intermittently since 2010, when he moved here to attend Kent State University. Since then, he has studied sociology at both undergraduate and graduate levels. George has also been involved in local art scenes and a variety of University and community-based organizations. He currently serves as Treasurer of Standing Rock Cultural Arts, President of Kent Books to Prisoners, and Facilitator for the ID13 Prison Literacy Project.
Julie Kenworthy is the Director of the Kent Historical Society & Museum. Kenworthy graduated from the College of Wooster with a bachelor’s degree in History. She then went on to teach high school history for six years. After staying home with her children for 10 years, her love of history brought her to KHS. She was hired in 2011 as the Children’s and Education Coordinator. Kenworthy planned class field trips, went into the schools for lessons and worked with teachers and students on local history projects. She was promoted to Co-Director of KHS in 2014 and added finances, exhibit preparations and overall operations to her duties. In 2015, she was named Director.
E: khs@kentohiohistory.org
Echo Malleo joined the KHS team in 2023 as the Curator and Collections Manager. Her connection with the city of Kent began in 2009 when she moved here to study at Kent State University. She has since received her undergraduate degree and finished an MA in Art History in 2023 and is currently working towards an MLIS, all at KSU. She is passionate about museum collections and working with historical objects, and is currently in the process of organizing and ensuring accurate cataloging of the KHS collection. In addition to her work at KHS, Echo is actively involved with multiple academic organizations, including acting as part of the leadership team of the Midwestern region of the Costume Society of America.
Former Kent resident Gwyneth Stine became KHS' communications and publications specialist in the fall of 2018. Stine draws on her experience as an educator and librarian in supporting KHS in its mission to collect, preserve and interpret Kent's heritage. She enjoys hearing family sagas, appreciates old houses, craves new learning opportunities and relishes new applications of her favorite skills and talents. While Stine is not a native to the city, she finds Kent's history fascinating and enjoys being a part of the KHS team.
E: khs@kentohiohistory.orgBoard President
Board Co-vice President
Board Secretary
Board Treasurer
Co-vice President
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Photo Archivist