A Legacy of Historic Preservation
As co-founder of Penn Wealth Planning, LLC, Frank Policare brings more than 30 years’ experience to individuals, families, and business owners seeking objective financial guidance and unbiased investment advice. As a business owner for more than 23 years, Frank understands the issues and challenges that impact business owners and executives from employee benefit cost-containment to cash flow management, investment tax considerations, succession planning, and more.
He began his career in banking in 1981 where he gained valuable expertise in mortgage banking. This led to the establishment of his own company in 1988 to provide mortgage services to homeowners and businesses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. After more than a decade in the mortgage business, Frank recognized the growing need among affluent families and business owners for more broad-based financial and investment planning services. Frank sold his company in 1994 to join Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor to help high net worth clients make more informed financial decisions within the context of the total wealth management process.
During his five years at Merrill Lynch, his practice focused on the specialized needs of high net worth individuals and business owners providing financial planning and wealth management services. Frank was recruited by First Union Securities in 1999 and accepted the position of Vice President/Investment Officer in the retail brokerage division. In 2003, he joined forces with Lisa Bodine to found Penn Wealth Planning where he is supported by an experienced team of wealth planners and insurance specialists.
Frank resides in New Hope, PA with his family where he takes an active role in the community. He is the current President and former Treasurer of the New Hope Historical Society, a past President of the New Hope Chamber of Commerce, and has served as a Board member for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Bucks County and Bucks County Conference Visitors Bureau .
Heidi Echternacht is a teacher at Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, NJ and the author of a newly published teacher’s guide entitled “The Kinderchat Guide to the Classroom”. Her work in the field of education has been featured in Forbes and The New York Times. She moved to New Hope in 2012 and joined the Board in 2018 after having served several years as a docent at the NHHS. Heidi loves learning the history of New Hope and is proud to be a part of this vibrant community.
Mary Ellen Mason and her husband have been residents of New Hope for the past 17 years. Their careers have included time spent in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan and Maine.
Mary Ellen graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and Special Education following that with a Master’s in Education Administration. Her early years were spent both in the classroom and then in administration. She then transitioned to educational sales working for McGraw Hill and Harcourt Brace. She and her husband left their corporate positions after 30 years and decided to shift to the hospitality field purchasing first a Bed and Breakfast in Kennebunkport, Maine and then eventually purchasing the Lambertville House Hotel in New Jersey. They have since retired and devote their time and energies to volunteer organizations, spending time with family and travel.
Along with her long standing volunteer efforts with the NHHS, she has been active in the Riverside Symphonia, Philadelphia Read Program and Safe Harbor, a program that assists youth who have lost a parent or sibling.
They still own a home in Kennebunkport, Maine and travel between New Hope and Maine frequently.
I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and am a proud graduate of Central HIgh School. After attending college at Drexel and Temple Universities, I began my career in the insurance industry and then moved into a consulting career where I provided clients with health and welfare benefits design. In 1992, I moved into the Human Resources function of a large Philadelphia-based employer, where I managed the health, retirement and executive benefit functions for their 8,000 employees.
My partner Ron and I both retired about eight years ago, at which time we moved to New Hope. Since moving here, we've enjoyed the wonderful history and culture of New Hope.
We consider ourselves fortunate to have joined the New Hope Historical Society, as not only did it help us learn about the incredible history of New Hope and Bucks County, but it also allowed us to meet and get to know many of the wonderful Members of the Society!
Roy Ziegler is past president of the New Hope Historical Society and has served on its board of directors since 2002. He chairs the annual Benjamin Parry Day celebration. He is the editor of the Society’s quarterly newsletter, History in the Making, and is chair of our media outreach committee. He produces and conducts the Society’s walking tours of historic New Hope.
Roy has written three books on early American History. New Hope, Pennsylvania: River Town Passages, The Parrys of Philadelphia and New Hope which won Editor’s Choice and Rising Star Awards from iUniverse publications, and Unfaltering Trust, the story of the Randolph Family, in-laws of the Parrys. He has also collaborated on a children’s book, Let’s Visit New Hope, with Gayle Goodman and Pat Achilles. Roy was a producer of the Society’s documentary video about the 200-year history of the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge. Roy is also the author of 3 novels.
Principal
Certifications/Affiliations
•Bucks County AIA (American Institute of Architects) •Past President – 2008 & 2011
• Board member 2006-2013
•Bucks County Chamber of Commerce 2004-2013
•Board member
•New Hope Historic Society
• Ivyland Historic Foundation
· New Hope Arts
· New Hope Borough HARB
· Doylestown Borough HARB
· Heritage Conservancy
“It’s my dream that 50 years from now, someone will design an adaptive reuse of one of our projects with whatever is the newer technology of the time. My vision is to leave graceful ruins across the landscape that will be cared for and cherished by future generations.”
Ralph Fey founded Ralph C. Fey Architects in 1996, bringing together an extensive background in architecture and interior design with a focus specializing on residential renovation, historic preservation, equestrian facilities, restaurants, event spaces, and more. Based in Bucks County, Ralph and the firm are dedicated to quality, hands-on design, and customer service. Ralph’s work embraces the nature of place, celebrates the region’s heritage, reflects the local vernacular and emphasizes the importance of context.
Very involved in the architectural integrity of the local community, Ralph serves on numerous Boards and is a two-time past president of the Bucks County AIA. As an award-winning architect, Ralph has a keen sense of “viewing the project from the outside in and the inside out”. Licensed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, he is the client advocate and design lead within the firm, working with his talented staff to shepherd each project from start to finish.
Ralph’s passion for architecture began at the early age of seven, when he could be found building projects in the basement of his family home. Taking this dedication to the next level, he went on to study both in the United States and abroad. Attending high school overseas, Ralph explored Asian architecture throughout Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Earning a degree in architecture from Syracuse University, Ralph studied in Europe at the Polytechnic Institute of Central London and the London Architecture Association. Exploring world architecture throughout different continents holds a unique perspective and insight that Ralph has embodied throughout his career.
Recruited after college by the fourth largest architectural firm in the U.S., Ralph spent the first 15 years of his career at The Hillier Group, rising from intern mentored by J. Robert and Barbara Hillier to attaining a senior position as Director of Design for the 35 person interior design staff. Ralph led the studio and was personally responsible for a wide range of design challenges, including corporate, hospitality, residential, renovation and adaptive reuse projects, as well as managing the development of Hillier’s new headquarters building. In 1994, Ralph switched gears to become Director of Design and Facility Planning for QVC. In addition to maintaining a portfolio of properties, Ralph spearheaded the development of their new 60 million dollar corporate headquarters and television studio.
After 15 years in a large firm and several years in a private organization, Ralph gained a keen understanding for being both an architect and a client, providing the platform for starting his own firm. Coming home to his Bucks County roots, Ralph opened Ralph C. Fey Architects in Doylestown, PA, often saying his raison d’etre is: “…to leave graceful ruins across the landscape.”
New Hope Historical Society
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