Presenters, Guides & Historians Biographies

More Bios and Speakers to Come!
 

Event Keynote Speaker

Darley Newman

Recognized in Forbes for her “PBS media empire,” Darley Newman is a pioneering entrepreneur known for her Emmy Award-winning series "Travels with Darley" and "Equitrekking," broadcast globally on platforms like PBS and Amazon Prime. Her series on architecture and history "Look up with Darley," recently garnered an Emmy nomination. With over 100 episodes on PBS, Darley takes audiences on journeys through destinations linked to history and culture, from the American Revolution to Route 66. Her engaging livestreams and events with Smithsonian Associates, museums and theatres explore diverse themes, drawing sold-out crowds. Recognized by esteemed publications and networks, Darley has received seven Emmy nominations and prestigious awards, including the North American Travel Journalist Award and Women in Philanthropy and Leadership. Her adventurous pursuits including leading production teams in over 30 nations and 26 states and include diving with sharks in Dubai, the world’s highest commercial bungee in Macao and biking the WWI red zone in France.

Keynote Panel

Andrew Dalton 

Andrew Dalton is Executive Director of the Adams County Historical Society and Beyond the Battle Museum. A 2019 graduate of Gettysburg College, he has received project funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is the author of a book, Beyond the Run: The Emanuel Harmon Farm at Gettysburg (2013), as well as numerous journal articles. His work as a historian and non-profit executive has been featured in The Washington Post, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Harrisburg Patriot, and Hallowed Ground Magazine, among other publications. He is a frequent contributor and guest at the American Battlefield Trust, Gettysburg National Military Park, and Gettysburg College. From 2020-2023, Andrew spearheaded successful planning and fundraising efforts for the historical society's $12 million debt-free capital campaign to build its new history center and museum in Gettysburg. 

J.D. Huitt

Chris Mowery 

Chris Mowery is the creator and owner/operator of the wildly popular YouTube channel Vlogging Through History. A professional genealogist by trade, Chris now devotes much of his professional time to his vlog and leading tours around the world. 

Presenters, Guides & Historians

Garry Adelman 

A graduate of Michigan State University and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Garry Adelman is the award-winning author, co-author or editor of 20 books and 50 Civil War articles. He is the vice president of the Center for Civil War Photography and has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg for 25 years. He has conceived and drafted the text for wayside exhibits at ten battlefields, has given thousands of battlefield tours at more than 60 sites and has lectured at hundreds of locations across the country including the National Archives, the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian. He has appeared as a speaker on the BBC, C-Span, Pennsylvania Cable Network, American Heroes Channel, and on HISTORY where he was a chief consultant and talking head on the Emmy Award-winning show Gettysburg (2011) and Blood and Glory: The Civil War in Color (2015).  He works full-time as Chief Historian at the American Battlefield Trust.

Sarah Kay Bierle 

Sarah Kay Bierle graduated from Thomas Edison State University with a BA in History, works in the Education Department at American Battlefield Trust, and volunteers as managing editor at Emerging Civil War. She has spent years exploring ways to share quality historical research in ways that will inform and inspire modern audiences, including school presentations, writing, and speaking engagements. Sarah has published three historical fiction books and her first nonfiction book, Call Out The Cadets: The Battle of New Market, is part of the Emerging Civil War series.

Mike Bunn

Mike Bunn is a historian and author who has worked with several cultural heritage organizations in the Southeast including the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, and the Columbus (Georgia) Museum. He currently serves as Director of Historic Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama. He is author or co-author of several books, including Fort Stoddert: American Sentinel on the Mobile River, 1799-1814; Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era (winner of the NSDAR Excellence in American History Award); Old Southwest to Old South; Mississippi 1798-1840; The Assault on Fort Blakeley: “The Thunder and Lightning of Battle”; Early Alabama: An Illustrated Guide to the Formative Years, 1798-1826; Alabama From Territory to Statehood: An Alabama Heritage Bicentennial Collection; Well Worth Stopping to See: Antebellum Columbus, Georgia Through the Eyes of Travelers; Civil War Eufaula; Battle for the Southern Frontier: The Creek War and the War of 1812; and Images of America: The Lower Chattahoochee River. He has forthcoming books on the history of the Tensaw River (UA Press) and antebellum Mobile (UGA Press). Mike is editor of Muscogiana, the journal of the Muscogee County (Georgia) Genealogical Society. He is also Chair of the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission, vice president of the Mobile Area Civil War Roundtable, and a member of the Board of Advisors for the University of South Alabama’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program. Mike earned his undergraduate degree at Faulkner University and two masters degrees at the University of Alabama. Mike and his wife Tonya live in Daphne, Alabama with their daughter Zoey. www.mikebunn.net

Sam Cavell

Samantha Cavell is the Assistant Professor in Military History at Southeastern Louisiana University. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in American and Global Military History, including courses on the history of the U.S. Navy and sea power. Her publications include Midshipmen and Quarterdeck Boys in the British Navy 1771-1831; chapter contributions to The Battle of New Orleans Reconsidered; U.S. Naval Academy’s New Interpretations in Naval History; Biography and History in Film; From Across the Sea: North Americans in Nelson’s Navy, as well as numerous journal articles. A native of Australia, she received her MA from Louisiana State University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Exeter, Center for Naval and Maritime Studies in the UK. She is currently working on a book project about the Royal Navy’s role in the final year of the War of 1812.
 

Neil P. Chatelain

Neil P. Chatelain is an assistant professor of history at Lone Star College-North Harris who specializes in researching naval activity of the U.S. Civil War

Having spent nine years in the US Navy, Neil deployed around the world, earning a surface warfare officer designation. He has also earned a MA in history from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, a MEd in history and social studies curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston, and a BA in history and political science from the University of New Orleans.

Neil is the author of the forthcoming Treasure and Empire in the Civil War: The Panama Route, the West and the Campaigns to Control America’s Mineral Wealth and has authored the books Defending the Arteries of Rebellion: Confederate Naval Operations in the Mississippi River Valley, 1861-1865 and Fought Like Devils: The Confederate Gunboat McRae. He has also written for numerous peer-reviewed journals and popular magazines, and has spoken at history conferences, history organizations, and Civil War round tables.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Neil and his wife Brittany live in Humble, Texas. They enjoy traveling across the United States and around the world.

Sean Michael Chick

Sean Michael Chick graduated from University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Communications and from Southeastern Louisiana University with a Master of Arts in History. He currently works in New Orleans, leading historic tours of his hometown. He is also a boardgame designer, concentrating on the period of Western warfare from 1685-1866. His main American Civil War research interests include Shiloh, the Army of Tennessee, New Orleans during the Civil War, P.G.T. Beauregard, the Petersburg Campaign, and Civil War tactics in relation to linear tactics from 1685-1866.

Chris Cook

Chris Cook previously worked as Director of the New Canal Lighthouse Museum and as Training Coordinator for the Historic New Orleans Collection. He is the Curator of Education at the Louisiana State Museum, Chris works closely with the museum’s supporting organizations on grant programs and volunteer trainings. Chris is a member of the American Association of State and Local History’s Educators and Interpreters national committee.  

Daniel Davis

Dan Davis, Senior Education Manager at the American Battlefield Trust. He is a native of Fredericksburg, VA where his love for the Civil War began on childhood trips to local battlefields. Dan is a graduate of Longwood University with a bachelor’s degree in Public History. Dan has worked as a Ranger/Historian at Appomattox Court House National Historical Site and the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles on the Civil War. 

Matthew Dow

Matt has spent his entire life on and around water, whether it was the crystal-clear waters of Lake George, NY, the salty ocean waters of the Maine Coast, or the brown waters of the mighty Mississippi River. Born in New Orleans in 1989, his first memories are of sitting on the Toulouse Street Wharf and listening to the calliope of the Str. NATCHEZ. After moving to Lake George, NY in 1995, his passion for boats grew as he did, working in various positions at the Lake George Steamboat Company over the course of 20 years, eventually earning his Master’s License for all public vessels operating on the Inland Waters of New York State. His time working in Lake George during the summers and New Orleans in the winters, coupled with the education he received during his four years at Maine Maritime Academy, gave him the necessary experience to tackle his biggest project to date: the conversion of the 1992-built gaming boat “CASINO ROCK ISLAND” into New Orleans’ newest and finest dinner/excursion vessel, the sternwheel riverboat “CITY OF NEW ORLEANS”.

While his duties have shifted recently in a more administrative direction, he can be found often “up on the roof” listening to, and sometimes playing, the calliope. He credits his love of the instrument and much of his playing style to fellow “perfessors” Capt. Clarke “Doc” Hawley, Travis C. Vasconcelos, and the incomparable Ms. Debbie Fagnano, who has been the regular calliope player for the New Orleans Steamboat Company for almost 35 years.

Phillip S. Greenwalt

Phill Greenwalt, full-time contributor to Emerging Civil War and co-founder of the Emerging Revolutionary War blog. Currently, he is a Supervisory National Park Ranger of the Catoctin Mountain Park. Prior to his current position, Phill spent seven years a historian with the National Park Service at George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Phill also served as a Supervisory National Park Ranger of the Shark Valley District of Interpretation and Visitor Services of Everglades National Park. He started with the National Park Service as a historical interpreter intern at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He has also had the honor to be on official details for the Sesquicentennial of the surrender at Appomattox Court House and the Bicentennial of the Battle of Fort McHenry and the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner. He is also the co-author of Bloody Autumn: The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, Hurricane from the Heavens: The Battle of Cold Harbor, and Calamity in Carolina: The Battles of Averasboro and Bentonville (all three with Daniel Davis). He is the co-author of A Single Blow: The Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Beginning of the American Revolution April 19, 1775, and author of The Winter that Won the War: The Winter Encampment at Valley Forge, 1777–1778. Phill graduated from George Mason University with an M.A. in American History and also has a B.A. in history from Wheeling Jesuit University. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland.

Michael Hensinger

Michael Hensinger is an educator who has been teaching students of all ages since 2011.  He has experience working within the classrooms of both public and private schools, as well as providing professional development to fellow education professionals.  While a teacher, Michael helped introduce a Geography Bee, pilot a grant-funded STEM program using the TechyKids coding platform and collaborated with other professionals to launch 1:1 technology initiatives.  His passion for history led him to his current position as Senior Manager of K-12 Education at the Museum of the American Revolution where he trains staff interpreters and oversees all programming for teachers and students.  He is a board game enthusiast, amateur tailor, and novice archer. Michael currently resides in Philadelphia, PA with his rambunctious dog Fiona.

Barb Kay 

Barbara Kay is a happily retired high school history teacher.  After spending 34 years in the classroom, she now helps elementary schools with enrichment lessons and activities.  She gives first person portrayals of famous women in history to students of all ages - from kindergarten to senior citizens.  Barb is a graduate of Truman State University and Webster University.  She earned her National Board Certificate in 2003.

Dr. Chris Mackowski

Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Emerging Civil War. He is the series editor of the award-winning Emerging Civil War Series, published by Savas Beatie, and the “Engaging the Civil War” Series, published in partnership with Southern Illinois University Press. Chris is a professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, NY, and historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield in central Virginia. He has also worked as a historian for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, where he gives tours at four major Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania), as well as at the building where Stonewall Jackson died. Chris has authored or co-authored a dozen books on the Civil War, and his articles have appeared in all the major Civil War magazines. 

Wayne Motts

Wayne E. Motts is a native of central Ohio who has lived and worked outside the Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania for nearly four decades. Wayne graduated with a BA in the field of military history from the Ohio State University and holds an MA in American History from the Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He is the President Emeritus & Historian of the Gettysburg Foundation which is the philanthropic non-profit partner of Gettysburg National Military Park and the Eisenhower National Historic Site. He is the author of Trust in God and Fear Nothing: Gen. Lewis A. Armistead, CSA and the co-author (with James A. Hessler) of Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg: A Guide to the Most Famous Attack in American History. Wayne has been a licensed battlefield guide at the Gettysburg National Military Park for the past 36 years.

Pat Ricci

Pat Ricci is the director of the Civil War Museum at Confederate Memorial Hall. The museum opened in 1891. It is the oldest museum in Louisiana and houses one of the largest collections of Confederate memorabilia in the United States. 

Robert (Bob) Rinehart 

Bob Rinehart was born in York, PA and graduated from West York High School (1983). He worked in television production for eight years after graduating from High School. During this time, the station (Cable-4-York) and Bob earned several awards for Excellence in their productions. Bob has a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education – Social Studies from York College of Pennsylvania (1994) and a Master’s Degree in Administration and Supervision from Loyola College of Maryland (2001). He was named Preservation Teacher of the Year by the American Battlefield Trust (then the Civil War Trust) in 2004, was awarded the American Battlefield Trust Chairman’s Award in 2010, and was named the Gilder/Lehrman Maryland Teacher of the Year in 2014. Bob has volunteered for the American Battlefield Trust since 2004 for both the Summer Teacher’s Institute and the member Annual Conference. He is married to his wife Maureen, and they have five children ranging from 17 – 25 years of age.

Katie Trevino

Katie Trevino, MLIS, has worked in various capacities at several local museums and is the Education Program Coordinator at the Louisiana State Museum. Before starting her current role at the Louisiana State Museum, Katie also worked as a college librarian, providing instruction to students in addition to other library duties. Katie oversees LSM’s adult education classes and handles our field trip and guided tour bookings.

David Wege

Dave Wege is a recently retired middle school teacher of 43 years of experience as a teacher/principal. His Wisconsin classroom made the journey to hallowed grounds at Gettysburg, Antietam, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Franklin, and several other historic sites in his pursuit to make history matter for his students. Humble recipient of the 2017 American Battlefield Trust Abroe-Carter Award for Teaching Excellence, Dave has also been planning and leading tours for bus groups since 2017. In his spare time, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Milwaukee Civil War Round Table and serves as the editor of its newsletter, General Orders.

Kristopher D. White

Kris is the deputy director of education at the American Battlefield Trust. White is a graduate of Norwich University with an M.A. in Military History and California University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in History. He served as a ranger-historian for nearly five years at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. White is the co-founder and former chief historian of Emerging Civil War and co-creator of the Engaging the Civil War Series, a partnership between Southern Illinois University Press and Emerging Civil War. An award-winning speaker and editor, White has authored, co-authored, or edited nearly two dozen books, and he frequently leads tours in the United States and abroad.

Cecily N. Zander

Cecily N. Zander is an Assistant Professor of History at Texas Woman’s University and a Senior Fellow at Southern Methodist University’s Center for Presidential History. She also currently serves as Chief Historian for Emerging Civil War. Her book, The Army under Fire: Antimilitarism in the Civil War Era, was published by Louisiana State University Press in 2024. She has published essays on the Civil War and the American West in numerous edited collections, scholarly journals, and popular magazines.

2Chicks Walking Tours

Like many of New Orleans’ best creations, Two Chicks Walking Tours was hatched (…sorry) over cocktails. It came to life out of a heartfelt love of our city, and the desire to spark that love in others by sharing her enthralling story. We felt a need to unfold her colorful past with a passion we felt the typical tour, crowded onto historic streets, was unable to convey. The life of New Orleans needs no embellishment, and as stewards of her history we felt compelled to offer a curated tour for the genuinely interested and intellectually curious. We wanted to create the tours that we would love to take. The history of New Orleans is the history of our country, and is as much yours as that of the locals, who we are honored to say, also frequent Two Chicks. Now in it’s ninth year of operations, Two Chicks Walking Tours has successfully fulfilled our vision through our collective of talented storytellers in the French Quarter and Garden District neighborhoods. Our style of southern hospitality features dynamic topics and interesting paths, allowing visitors and locals to explore the city on a deeper level. We are thrilled that by intuiting the need for a more personal approach, Two Chicks has garnered the attention of Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and US News and World Report, among other notable publications. We developed our current offerings over time, all the while being honored with thousands of five star reviews along the way.

More guides, presenters & historians will be announced soon.