Board of Directors
Gary Wilson, M.D., President
Gary was born and raised in Illinois and is a retired physician and healthcare executive. After living in several different states, he presently resides in Kentucky. Gary is the longest tenured present Board member and is serving as president for the second time. He has had a passion for history from a young age and has traveled extensively, visiting historical sites in the U.S.
Major General Bill Terpeluk, US Army Reserve (Retired), Vice-President
A 1974 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Bill is a former Infantry Officer and published military author. In his 36 years of service on both active duty and the Army Reserve, he has had seven command assignments from the company to division-level. In his civilain professional career, he held several positions in the biomedical research field. Also holding an M.B.A. from Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, Bill is currently a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Mary K. Adams, Secretary
Mary founded M.K. Adams Associates, Inc. in New York City, a recruitment firm that specializes in placing marketing professionals in the architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas at Lawrence, with a degree in psychology. Her passion for scuba diving has taken her to many areas around the world, where she acquired an equal passion and appreciation for history and preservation.
Laurie N. Burgett, Treasurer
Laurie is a native San Diegan and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from San Diego State University. Now retired, she worked as an engineer for Convair (formerly, General Dynamics’ missile division) and then at Solar Turbines (a Caterpillar Company), which is a supplier of industrial gas turbines. There, she held leadership roles overseeing various engineering, manufacturing, and customer service departments. In her final role, she and her team reorganized Solar’s international indirect supply chain and implemented ethics and compliance risk mitigation. She also earned a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP) credential. Over the years, she has held positions with various local civic and nonprofit organizations. After retirement, she began researching soldiers of the 86th Illinois Volunteer Infantry and quickly developed a passion for studying all aspects of the Civil War.
Hal K. Litchford, J.D.
A trial lawyer who represented sophisticated businesses in many industries for over 47 years, Hal is senior counsel in the Orlando, Florida office of a national law firm. He grew up in Nashville and received his B.S. degree in political science and American history. Hal was brought up hearing stories from his father from the aging soldiers he regularly visited at the Tennessee Confederate Veterans’ Home and tales about scooping up relics on the Nashville battlefield. These stories, and numerous family visits to boy scout camp outs at other places like Shiloh, Fort Donelson. Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Spring Hill and Franklin all contributed to his lifelong interest in our Civil War. At the same time, he developed a deep attachment to hallowed ground and the men who fought and died there. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia and while in Charlottesville he spent countless hours in the Shenandoah Valley learning about its Civil War military history. Over the years, he has amassed an extensive library of American military history volumes and has been recognized for his particular expertise in Confederate swords. Despite his busy work and family schedules, Hal found time to found the Civil War Round Table in Orlando and to regularly participate in Civil War tours. He became familiar with BGES through years of touring and joined the BGES faculty and Board in 2025 as his law practice winds down. Hal is now indulging his passion of writing articles and is accelerating his work on a book on Hood’s 1864 invasion of Tennessee from Florence to Columbia.
Hal and his wife, Jody, are closing on 50 years of marriage. They are the proud parents of three adult boys and a recent granddaughter. They split time between Orlando and the mountains of Western North Carolina.
William M. McKinnon, M.D.
William, “Bill,” grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, after a childhood in Roanoke, Virginia. Sunday afternoon would often mean a trip with his dad to a battlefield or museum, which instilled an interest in the Civil War from an early age. He attended Emory University for three years for college and then entered the Emory University School of Medicine. After six years of surgical training, Bill performed vascular surgery for thirty-eight years at Emory University Hospital Midtown. A longtime member of Blue and Gray, Bill served for years on the Board, including two years as Board President. Now Past President, he continues Board service and support, working in philanthropy and strategic fundraising.
Laurence (Laurie) D. Schiller, Ph.D.
Laurie is a resident of Deerfield, Il and is a retired Adjunct Professor of African History at Northwestern University where he received his Ph.D. and taught for 40 years. He has been President of the Northern Illinois CWRT several times and he and his wife Cathy have supported the American Battlefield Trust and its predecessor organizations virtually from their beginning. In addition, he has given multiple talks to a variety of CWRTs and the Kenosha Civil War Museum, as well as publishing a monograph on cavalry with BGES, Of Sabres and Carbines: The Evolution of Federal Cavalry Tactics in the Civil War, and several articles in North and South Magazine. He is currently working on a book on the evolution of cavalry tactics in the American Civil War. Laurie has also been a Civil War reenactor for over 30 years.
In addition to his academic career, Laurie is a member of both the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame and USA Fencing Hall of Fame for his successful career as the Head Fencing Coach at Northwestern. He held numerous positions at the NCAA and for USA Fencing in a career spanning 61 years. He continues to referee in his retirement at the National level.
Commander Edward T. Schneider (Retired)
Commander Ed Schneider, U.S. Navy, served 15 years on active duty, primarily as a test pilot. He then joined NASA as a research pilot on multiple programs, including the Mach 3 SR-71. Ed has flown over 7800 flight hours in 91 models of aircraft. He retired in 2004.
He is a Fellow and former President of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a member of the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame, and was awarded NASA’s Distinguished Service Medal, the Agency’s highest award.
His interest in the Civil War began in grade school and continues to grow to the present day with many battlefield tours. He and his wife, Ginger reside in Union, Kentucky.
Dr. Joseph V. Trahan, III
The New Orleans native has forty-four years of public relations/affairs experience in governmental, association, and educational and non-profit public relations and current CEO of Trahan & Associates providing expert training on Media Relations, Crisis and Risk Communications. Additionally, Dr. Trahan is also LTC(R) Joe Trahan, United States Army Reserve (USAR), former Commander of the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center (PAOC) (USAR) located in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. (LTC-USAR) Trahan has successfully operated four Joint Information Bureaus (JIBs) and one Joint Information Center (JIC) from 1991-94. Some of Dr. (LTC) Trahan’s JIB/JIC Assignments were: Joint Logistics over the Shore (JLOTS)-1992; Presidential Task Force Andrew-1992; The National Boy Scout Jamboree -1993 and the 50th Anniversary of Operation Overlord-1994. Since 1998, Dr. Joe Trahan has superbly Media Relations trained over 3,500 people yearly in: 46 US states, England, Norway, France, Belgium, Paraguay, Mexico and The Netherlands.
Dr. Joe Trahan, APR graduated from Tulane University with a BA degree in American Military History, a MA degree in Public Relations from Ball State University and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations and Advertising from The University of Southern Mississippi. Currently, Dr. Trahan is a lifetime Board Member of The PRSA Public Affairs & Government Section. Finally, Dr. Joe Trahan is an accredited member of Public Relations Society of America, a former National PSA Board of Director and National PRSSA Faculty Advisor. Dr. Trahan was Inducted into The Defense Information School (DINFOS) in September 2025. He was inducted into The Rowan University Public Relations Hall of Fame for lifetime distinguished contributions to The Public Relations Profession in 2019. He was inducted into The Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) Hall of Fame for bringing distinction to The Public Relations Profession in 2016. He was awarded The Lloyd B. Dennis Award by PRSA in 2009 for Distinguished Leadership in Public Affairs. He was awarded The U.S. Army Ancient Order of St. Gabriel in 2022 for outstanding achievements and accomplishments in the spirit, dignity and sense of sacrifice and commitment epitomized by a career that so singularly distinguishes the individual as a contributor to Public Affairs that they few peers. He’s also a longtime fan of the 2010 World Champion New Orleans Saints!
Fowler C. West , J.D.
A native of Bosqueville, Texas, Fowler West is a 1963 graduate of Baylor University where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science before moving to Washington, D.C., where he continued his studies and served on multiple committees for the United States House of Representatives. In 1980, Fowler obtained a Masters degree from George Washington University, and in 1988, he received a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University’s law school. Serving as a policy writer, attorney, and lobbyist, Fowler brings over 60 years of experience to the Board of BGES. He is also an active tour participant, pursuing his interests in American history and following the path of his ancestors who served from Texas.
Fowler West served more than 20 years on Capitol Hill, where in addition to serving as Administrative Assistant to former Rep. W. R. Poage of Texas and Staff Director of the House Committee on Agriculture under Chairman Poage and former House Speaker Thomas S. Foley, he worked on major agricultural, conservation, rural development, credit, nutrition and foreign food aid programs, including several major farm bills. Fowler then served two terms as a Commissioner at the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Fowler also chaired the advisory committee on CFTC/State Cooperation. At the beginning of 2015, he formed his own firm with his son, Mitchell.
Since 2015, Fowler is the President of West & West, LLC, in Alexandria, Virginia. His work largely involves protection of the environment, especially the Everglades Ecosystem. In January 2001, he was the recipient of the Steward of the Everglades Award, presented by the Everglades Coalition, for his work in the passage of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan legislation.
Fowler is a member of the Board of Library Advisors at Baylor University.
Staff
Robert D. Jenkins Sr., J.D., Field University Director
Bob has served as an attorney practicing in Dalton, Georgia, where he maintained a general and civil trial practice since 1990. Bob was graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1987 with a B.B.A degree in Business Management with Minors in History and Geography. Bob received his Juris Doctor degree from Mercer University in 1990 and has regularly practiced in the courts throughout Northwest Georgia.
In addition to serving as Field University Director for BGES, Bob is active in battlefield preservation and in research and writing. He is President of Save the Dalton Battlefields, LLC and is Vice Chair of Whitfield County’s Historic Preservation Commission where he has led efforts to preserve and protect civil war earthworks and sites in and around Dalton. Through their efforts, the County has acquired and opened Mill Creek Gap Park, Potato Hill Park, and Rocky Face Ridge Park. He has most recently helped to coordinate the acquisition of additional sites at Buzzard’s Roost Gap (point person), Kennesaw Mountain (legal support), and Resaca (liaison).
In addition to bringing 35 years of legal and management experience to BGES, Bob has over 25 years of battlefield preservation, historic interpretation, special projects, and fundraising experience. He has overseen the installation of interpretive markers and cannons at seven parks and sites to date, and the acquisition of five battlefield properties.
Bob has authored The Battle of Peach Tree Creek, Hood’s First Sortie, (Mercer University Press “MUP”, Macon, GA: 2013), To the Gates of Atlanta, (MUP, 2015), and The Cassville Affairs: Johnston, Hood and the Failed Confederate Strategy in the Atlanta Campaign, (MUP, 2024).
Colonel Johnny Wade Sokolosky, Sr., (Retired), Administrative Operations Director
A native of Beaufort, North Carolina, Wade is a graduate of East Carolina University and a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army. He is the author of North Carolina’s Confederate Hospitals, 1861-1865, volumes 1 and 2. Wade co-authored (with Mark A. Smith) “To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming”: The Battle of Wise’s Forks, March 1865, and “No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar”: Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign from Fayetteville to Averasboro, and the compiler of “Final Roll Call” Confederate Losses during the 1865 Carolinas Campaign, vol. 1 (North Carolina), the first in a multi-volume series.
In 2026, Wade was inducted into the East Carolina University Distinguished Military Service Society for his lifetime achievements in military service to our Country.
A staunch battlefield preservationist, for the last several years Wade has helped lead the effort to save the Wyse Fork Battlefield in Kinston, NC, from destruction. Additionally, he serves as the vice president of the Friends of Bentonville Battlefield and is a member of the Brunswick County Civil War Round Table Advisory Council. Wade lives in Beaufort, North Carolina.
Burford Smith, Tour and Logistics Director
A graduate of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, Burford has been a passionate and lifelong student of the Civil War. A retired officer of the Fulton County (Atlanta), Georgia, Sheriff’s Department, Burford is a master of logistics including planning, coordinating, and leading tours across the country. As a CDL licensed driver, Burford transports guests on our tours, sometimes as many as 25 tours a year. He is also a member of Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Association and Emerging Civil War helping to cross-market and collaborate with other organizations to fulfil common goals.
Douglas Jeffrey Cumins, Special Projects Director
Doug Cumins is an airline pilot, flight instructor, and former small business owner. A 1998 graduate of Embry-Ridle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ, Doug has been a commercial pilot for over 27 years. He has been a BGES member since college and is a former member of the board of directors. A lifelong civil war and history follower, he brings his talent and interest to BGES by overseeing our robust Interpretive Marker program, most recently directing the replacement of all 55 panels at the Perryville, Kentucky State Battlefield Park, and 13 new panels at Rippa Villa and Spring Hill, Tennessee.
Norman Dasinger, Communications Director
Norman Dasinger, owner of a real estate title company, has been active in Civil War history, preservation, and interpretation since 1985. He is a member of the SCV, SUVCW, and SAR and has been leading tours of Civil War sites across Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee since 2004. Norman brings substantial knowledge of the region’s history, spanning the Civil War, pioneer settlement, Native American heritage, and the Civil Rights movement. He lives in Rainbow City, Alabama, and is the father of two grown sons and a granddaughter.
Scott Patchan, Revolutionary War Coordinator
A lifelong student of military history, Scott C. Patchan’s interest began as a child during summer visits to his grandparents’ home in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, which often included a sojourn to nearby Fort Necessity National Battlefield. Walking those historic grounds and learning from the interpretive staff created the foundation for his interest in the study and preservation of America’s historic sites. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from James Madison University in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He has published seven books with a heavy focus on the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign of the U.S. Civil War. His most recent works include George Washington in the French and Indian War and Worthy of a Higher Rank: The Shenandoah Valley Campaign Journal of Col Joseph Thoburn, The Last Battle of Winchester, Shenandoah Summer, Second Manassas: The Struggle for Chinn Ridge, and The Forgotten Fury: The Battle of Piedmont. He has also written six feature length essays for Blue and Gray Magazine and dozens of articles and essays for various other publications over the years. He is currently completing books on the Battle of Jonesboro in the Atlanta Campaign and the Battles of Fisher’s Hill through Cedar Creek. Each year, he conducts numerous historical tours and seminars on the colonial era, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War throughout the eastern United States. He currently resides in the Wilderness area of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and is active in preservation and interpretive efforts with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation and Kernstown Battlefield Association.
Barbara Noe Kennedy, Editor, The Dispatch Newsletter
A former longtime senior editor at National Geographic Travel Publishing, Barbara Noe Kennedy brings 25-years of experience as an Editor and proofreader. Barbara holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia School of Journalism. She is a Member of the Society of American Travel Writers and National Press Club and is a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award Winner. Barbara has been published in National Geographic Travel, BBC Travel, World War II, Shondaland, Freedom Road, Fodor’s Travel, Side of Culture, and the Los Angeles Times.
In addition to editing for BGES, Barbara is a freelance writer, editor, and proofer and she can be found at: https://www.barbaranoekennedy.com
Jarred Marlowe, Social Media & Video Production Manager
Jarred Marlowe is a historian and resident of Collinsville, Virginia where he lives with his wife and two daughters. He is also a member of the Col. George Waller Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and is the committee chair for the Martinsville-Henry County 250 Committee.