Park-McCullough House expands Board of Trustees with additions of Peter Herdrich and Joni Clark-Leiker

Herdrich & Clark-Leiker become the newest additions to the Park-McCullough Board of Trustees

May 12, 2025

The Park-McCullough House Association has announced the appointment of Peter Herdrich and Joni Clark-Leiker to the organization’s Board of Trustees.

Peter Herdrich, who rejoins the board for a second term after some time away, is the CEO of the Cultural Capital Group, where he consults with clients in the cultural heritage, communications, museum, library, and archive sectors. He has worked on digital infrastructure projects with the Ministry of Culture and Arts in Algeria and with religious minority communities in Iraq on the digitization of cultural heritage. He has helped to build the first functional digital library in Iraq at the Kurdish Heritage Institute, conducted an emergency digitization and documentation project at the National Museum in Aden, Yemen in association with the Egyptian Heritage Rescue Fund, and initiated the Digital Library of the Middle East. Mr. Herdrich formerly served as CEO of the Archaeological Institute of America and publisher of Archaeology magazine after working for many years as a television news producer. In addition to the Park-McCullough House, his board service includes the Archaeological Institute of America and the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia.

“The Park-McCullough House is one of the country’s most distinguished historic houses and a keystone to understanding Vermont’s history. It’s an honor to rejoin the Board as we strive to maximize the impact of the House and its programs locally and across the region,” Herdrich shared.

Joni Clark-Leiker is a retired teacher and counselor who currently works as an educational consultant. A graduate of Mt. Anthony Union High School whose graduate and post-graduate education and career have taken her from Bennington to Northern Colorado and Kansas, she has spent the summer seasons volunteering at Park-McCullough since 2023, serving as a docent and member of the collections and youth education teams. 

“Strengthening communities is my passion,” said Clark-Leiker. “Through my work with Park-McCullough, I’m constantly striving to educate and inspire people from all generations on the family legacy and fascinating history of the house and grounds, while helping to build a strong community here.”

Board President Allen McCullough added, “The board of Park-McCullough is extremely pleased to welcome Peter and Joni onto our expanding board. Peter has been with us before and brings an expertise in strategic planning that will be instrumental as we move forward. And Joni has been a dedicated volunteer and core member of our collections and docents committees, with a keen eye for the history of the house and family, and a deep appreciation for the stories we tell through continued interpretation. Adding these two perspectives to our board will serve to strengthen the organization as we embark on an exciting period of planning for the future of this cherished and storied place. ”

Herdrich and Clark-Leiker join existing board members Allen McCullough, Mike Barriere, Alyssa Barry, David Hart, Brandy Lesser, Chris Macksey, and Casey Rich.

The new board appointments come as Park-McCullough kicks off its 2025 spring membership season. Neighbors and friends are invited to become members of Park-McCullough, receiving benefits such as museum admission and members-only event invitations while supporting this pillar of local history and community infrastructure. Member dues represent one of the most important sources of support for the organization, with a strong membership base providing for continued day-to-day operations, maintenance, restoration, and planning for the future of this celebrated property. For more information about Park-McCullough or to become a member for the 2025 season, please visit parkccullough.org today.