EASTON, Pa. — The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor has a new executive director.
Antone “Tony” Pierucci was selected to fill the position, succeeding Claire Sadler, a Monday news release from the corridor's board of directors said.
“I look forward to finding ways to enhance the great work DLNHC already does to connect people to their own backyards."Antone “Tony” Pierucci, the new Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor executive director
“The corridor is rich with history and is grounded in an amazingly diverse natural environment,” Pierucci said. “I look forward to finding ways to enhance the great work DLNHC already does to connect people to their own backyards."
Pierucci said he needs "to get to know the communities this organization serves."
"So my priority for the first several weeks of my tenure will be to do just that: to travel the corridor, meeting with community members and stakeholders and getting to know what they need from us — what they value and what they want to see more of,” he said.
Leadership experience, education
Pierucci “brings more than a decade of leadership experience in public history, historic preservation and cultural resource management,” officials said.
He previously was deputy director at Gunston Hall, the historic Virginia home of George Mason, a founding father, according to the release.
There, he oversaw strategic partnerships, led multiple departments and supported a $7 million fundraising campaign.
During her tenure, [Claire] Sadler made a lasting impact through her leadership in trail development, her role as internal lead for the Lehigh Valley Greenways Partnership — one of Pennsylvania’s eight designated conservation landscapes — and her strategic guidance through an internal staff reorganization, a global pandemic, American Alliance of Museums reaccreditation, and more.D&L officials
Before that, he held senior leadership roles at Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, award-winning nature and historic sites and teams of interpretive and preservation professionals, officials said.
Pierucci holds advanced degrees in public history and art history/archaeology, along with certifications in heritage interpretation and emergency response, according to the release.
Sadler, who is staying on as a consultant during the transition period, is stepping down after more than a decade with the organization.
“During her tenure, [Claire] Sadler made a lasting impact through her leadership in trail development, her role as internal lead for the Lehigh Valley Greenways Partnership — one of Pennsylvania’s eight designated conservation landscapes — and her strategic guidance through an internal staff reorganization, a global pandemic, American Alliance of Museums reaccreditation, and more,” officials said.
The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is the agency that oversees the D&L Trail. The 165-mile trail stretches from just outside of Wilkes-Barre to Bristol, Bucks County.
