EASTON, Pa. — Sitting in his new office inside the Superintendent's House of the Historic Easton Cemetery, Keith Lampman-Perlman couldn’t help but notice all the life he could see from his window.
“I look out my window right now and I see a couple walking their dog,” Lampman-Perlman said.
“And I just saw the hearse leave. We had a burial today that the hearse just left … There's a lot going on, even on the coldest day so far this year.”
Lampman-Perlman, who often goes by “KLP,” recently was appointed as the176-year-old cemetery’s new executive director, a role focused on community engagement, preservation and fundraising.
“I think it's important for people to see that someone is in the caretaker's house. And that we're here, working towards maintaining the history of the cemetery while we're honoring the people who are interred here, in whatever form they're interred, and really remembering the deceased, but celebrating the history that's here.”Keith Lampman-Perlman, Historic Easton Cemetery’s new executive director
The selection comes as the cemetery, situated on 85 acres in the West Ward, is in the midst of what officials have described as a “realignment” as cremations become a more popular end-of-life option over traditional burials.
“I think it's important for people to see that someone is in the caretaker's house,” he said.
“And that we're here, working toward maintaining the history of the cemetery while we're honoring the people who are interred here, in whatever form they're interred.
"And really remembering the deceased, but celebrating the history that's here.”
‘The most nonlinear path’
Asked about how he ended up in the Valley two years ago, Lampman-Perlman said, “I have the most nonlinear path to the Lehigh Valley of anybody I've ever met.”
He’s originally from Greene County, New York, near the Northern Catskills, a mountain range known for its scenic views and myriad activities for outdoor enthusiasts.
“I grew up in what I call a Hallmark movie set,” he said, describing a small-town community where neighbors didn’t lock their doors at night.
“It's very beautiful — an idyllic setting. It was a great way to grow up. I took it for granted a bit, as all kids do. I guess I didn't realize how fortunate I had it.”
After getting his undergraduate degree in business administration and management in 1988 at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, he was accepted into the law and master of business administration program at Albany Law School, but took “a year off and never went back,” he said.
“I became a banker at a local bank, which became a five-county bank called Catskill Savings Bank,” he said. “I worked there nearly 14 years, and I was on such a quick trajectory upward.
“I started out as the bank's first manager trainee and compliance officer, that helped with my legal background as much as it was for an undergrad degree.
"And I was just on such a quick trajectory upward that I became one of the top executives.”
‘Self-taught in non-profits’
Around the time when he started at the bank, Lampman-Perlman co-founded a hospice, now part of St. Peter's Community Hospice, to serve patients with AIDS, breast cancer and other end-stage terminal illnesses.
“Now the survival rates have changed so dramatically for the good,” he said. “I was only 21 and I was happy to be part of that, and it's going stronger now than ever.”
When the bank was sold, Lampman-Perlman was serving as executive vice president.
In the years that followed, he held several leadership roles at nonprofits, including executive director and vice president of development for the Columbia Memorial Hospital Foundation, chief development officer of the National Brain Tumor Society, chief executive officer of the Macula Vision Research Foundation and chief development officer of Catholic Partnership Schools.
Describing himself as “self-taught in nonprofits,” Lampman-Perlman said he really enjoys mentoring others in the relationship-building and creating awareness aspects of fundraising.
“I like to think that's how I like to live my life — helping people help themselves.”Keith Lampman-Perlman, Historic Easton Cemetery’s new executive director
“After that, I was recruited to go to the Lehigh Valley by another organization, and I went there because their mission was helping people help themselves,” he said.
“And I still believe in that mission very much. I like to think that's how I like to live my life — helping people help themselves.”
‘Guiding our cemetery'
That Valley organization was ProJeCt of Easton, a nonprofit that focuses on uplifting low-income, at-risk residents.
There, he served as director of development, his most recent role before he was appointed as the cemetery’s new executive director.
“His depth of nonprofit leadership, both nationally and here in our region, combined with his passion for awareness-building and community impact, make him the right leader for this moment."Marshall Wolff, president of the cemetery’s Board of Directors
“We are thrilled to welcome Keith into this role at such an important time for the Historic Easton Cemetery,” Marshall Wolff, president of the cemetery’s Board of Directors, said in a news release announcing the appointment.
“His depth of nonprofit leadership, both nationally and here in our region, combined with his passion for awareness-building and community impact, make him the right leader for this moment.
"I have witnessed Keith in action and feel fortunate to have him guiding our cemetery into its next era of preservation, financial stability and growth.”
‘To celebrate and create an awareness’
For the first 18 months in his new role, Lampman-Perlman said he’s focused on creating and launching fundraising and awareness campaigns centered not only on the cemetery’s historical value, but also on its continued significance to the community.
Not only is the cemetery the largest green space in the city, but it also has rich historical and community value.
More than 42,000 people have been buried there, including George Taylor, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1990, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
“My role is to make people aware of that, and to celebrate and create an awareness that goes beyond the greater Easton area," he said.
"Because people come from far and wide to not only visit relatives, but to see the history that is here."
An active burial ground, the cemetery is in need of funding to maintain the grounds year-round, as well as preserve the many monuments and sculptures.
“People don't realize that they have to give money to sustain and maintain the cemetery,” he said. “They don't realize that it costs, you know, a hundred and some thousand dollars a year simply to mow the lawns.”
Bridging that gap will be a challenge, but it’s one Lampman-Perlman said he’s well-prepared to take on.
“I think that's why I was chosen for this position by the board,” he said. “It's because of my history in creating awareness and building a structure that allows people to understand the value of their gift.
“It starts with them understanding the value of the 85-acre cemetery that is here.”
Anyone interested in volunteering at the cemetery or donating to help support it can find more information on its website.
