By Kathleen Cunningham
Our Board has experienced lots of change in the last several years as the first generation of Trustees has moved on, in one way or another. The Society and the Village, at large, owes these founders a great debt as they have been a strong force in helping to shape the historic, community character that makes this place so special. And valuable.
Among those who leave an extraordinary body of work is former VPSEH, Board Chair and President, Joan D. Osborne. Mrs. Osborne has served with distinction on the Board of Trustees since 1995, nearly 30 years.
Joan’s particular skill sets: a strong sense of how valuable the history of a place is to its core identity; an ability to quickly understand and articulate the complexities of an issue; a natural directness; an intuitive capacity to get to the root of the problem, were strong assets to not only the Society, but the Village at large. Joan served not only in the leadership of the Society, but also was the By-Laws Chairwoman and generous donor to the organization over time.
She was an active participant in the 2002 Village Comprehensive Plan and remained a diligent observer of Village government for several decades. Her service to the Society, the Village and the community at larger are exemplary.
The Society extends its deep gratitude to Mrs. Osborne for her inspired leadership, genuine interest, and steadfast dedication to the history of this place, the residents of this community and the important work of the Village Preservation Society. We salute her irreplaceable perspective and talent, and we wish her well in her retirement.