Nathan Bryson

Curator of Organs

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     Nathan L. Bryson is Curator of Organs at Boardwalk Hall, a position he began September 1, 2015.  Mr. Bryson, a native of Brevard, NC, in his previous position as Project Manager with Cornel Zimmer Organ Builders, brings his project management skills along with working skills to assist HORC in the daily onsite rebuilding activities of the organs.

     Mr. Bryson has previously been involved with multiple Wanamaker Organ Symposium’s focusing on the restoration and relocation of the Orchestral division and also has been involved with the Wurlitzer installation in the Greek Hall.  Other notable projects worked on by Mr. Bryson include the 4/83 Aeolian-­‐Skinner at Myers Park United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC, 5/85 Austin/Cornel Zimmer at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, GA and 3/38 Aeolian-­‐Skinner at Neely’s Creek A.R.P., Rock Hill, NC.

     At age eight Mr. Bryson began studying piano with Rachel Kahl of Brevard, NC. He continued his study with Jane Dill at Southern Wesleyan University, graduating in May of 2004 with degrees in music as well as Internet Computing. During his four years at SWU he was active in the Concert Choir, Chamber singers, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band. He began studying organ while at Southern Wesleyan under Jane Dill as well as studying Carillon with Clemson University Carilloneur, Dr. Linda Dzuris.

     Mr. Bryson graduated Southern Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Internet Computing and Bachelor of Arts in Music. Mr. Bryson has participated in continuing education credits with the American Institute of Organ Building and is currently Organist/Choirmaster for the Robinson Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC.

Scott D. Banks

Membership & Events Coordinator 

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     Scott is a classically trained vocalist and conductor having studied at Montclair State University, his past has taken him down many pathways to end up at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. After years of success in the retail industry and leading his stores to record profitability he began volunteering at Boardwalk Hall with the pipe organ projects. Eventually his hobby and release became his day to day job!   He has been involved with numerous non-profits over the years and is enjoying bringing his expertise in marketing and outreach to the Historic Organ Restoration Committee.  A member of the Greater Atlantic City Concierge Association and the Public Relations Council of Greater Atlantic City, Scott loves to share not only the history of Atlantic City but also bring exciting events to those visiting from around the world.   Scott is also a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians and lends help to local organizations needing guidance with rules of order. He is a Past Master & Secretary of Sextant Lodge #286 F&AM in Manahawkin, NJ and a Past Grand Officer of The Order of the Eastern Star of New Jersey and Organist of Tuckerton Chapter in Tuckerton, NJ.  He resides in Little Egg Harbor with his lovely wife Laura, a fellow musician who loves teaming up musically with her husband.

Carl Hersom

Shop Foreman

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     Carl Hersom graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from the Schwob School of Music of Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia, where he studied horn under Jason Eklund and Anna Dodd, music theory and aural skills under Kristen Hansen, and organ under Joseph Golden. He was an active member of the CSU Wind Ensemble and CSU Philharmonic Orchestra, playing principal parts on multiple occasions.

He also had a semester-long independent study and lecture on pipe organ building.

     Carl's love and interest for the organ began at a very young age, spending most of his time in church services being enthralled with the organist and her playing. After taking up the French horn in elementary school and ultimately majoring in horn in college, it wasn't until then that he formally started organ lessons. Through this, combined with hundreds of hours of learning about carpentry, electricity, and mechanical movement from his father at home, started his fascination of the pipe organ's functionality and history, which lead to his serious dedication to pipe organ building and restoration.
     During his independent study, he had many shadowing hours of organ maintenance with Robert Coulter of Robert I. Coulter Organbuilders of Atlanta, Georgia, and went on to do a full-time apprenticeship and employment with GHP Associates of Attleboro, Massachusetts, where he learned fine wood-working and leathering skills under the direction of Gary H Phillips. Prior to his full-time appointment with the Historic Organ Restoration Committee, he was employed part-time with both HORC and the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

     Carl is a member of the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble and the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble. He lives in Mays Landing, New Jersey with his husband, Nick Myers, Milo the kitty, and Brenda the pug.

Chuck Gibson

Professional Assistant to the Curator, Treasurer

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     Charles (Chuck) Gibson became interested in the sound of the pipe organ listening to the 4 manual 106 rank E.M. Skinner pipe organ at his school, Girard College in Philadelphia, PA.  He began studying piano at the age of 10 with the hope of someday playing the organ.  After a single organ lesson, he wanted to know how the sound was produced.  Being naturally interested in all things mechanical, the workings of the pipe organ were very interesting to him.

     Upon graduation from Girard in 1973, Chuck already had been hired as an apprentice pipe organ technician by Burger and Shafer Organ Co. of Findlay, Ohio who were associates of M.P. Moller Organ Co., Hagerstown, MD.  One year later, M.P. Moller hired Chuck into the factory team where he learned many areas of the trade.  In 1976 Chuck moved back to New Jersey accepting a position with Mangam Organ Co. of Philadelphia.  In 1978, Chuck was recommended for the position of Assistant Curator of the Wanamaker organ in Philadelphia where he remained for 11 years.

     Chuck began his own service company while still at Wanamaker’s as many people were asking for his expertise at their churches.  The company grew quickly and was incorporated in 1987.  Today the company known as C.W. Gibson, Inc., Pipe Organ Specialties, is responsible for the care and tuning of 125 church pipe organs.  In 1996, C.W. Gibson, Inc. purchased the Mangam Organ Co. and merged its customers into the company.  After 35 years as President of C.W. Gibson, Inc, Chuck turned over operation of that business to his longest employee in 2018.

     C.W. Gibson, Inc. was asked to begin the restoration work on the W.W. Kimball organ at Boardwalk Hall in 2008 rebuilding the main blower, several regulators and two main chests of the solo chamber. When that work was completed, Chuck was asked to help with the Midmer-Losh organ on a weekly basis and was named as Professional Assistant to the Curator in 2015. Additional duties now include HORC Treasurer. 

Jonathan A. Farnsley

Organ Technician

     At the age of 10, Jonathan first encountered a church organ near his hometown in central Indiana. Having already begun piano lessons at the age of five, he originally felt that his future would lead him into the world of organ performance after the instrument quickly took over every passing thought in his head.  
     Time would soon prove him wrong, as his keen mechanical aptitude and good ear for pitch quickly attracted the attention of multiple organbuilding firms around the Midwest and abroad. In his time working for these firms, Jonathan has now serviced over 200 church, home, and concert hall organs in the midwestern and southeastern United States. 
     Most recently, Jonathan spent three years working for Goulding & Wood - Pipe Organ Builders in Indianapolis, where his responsibilities included the assembly of the firm's new and rebuilt consoles, solid state control system design and assembly, electrical wiring, general installation labor, and was the head of the firms Service Department which oversaw the care and tuning of over 100 instruments around the state and abroad. 
     Now in his 11th year of collective pipe organ building, restoration, tuning, and general maintenance experience, Jonathan is elated and humbled to be joining the organ restoration team at Boardwalk Hall.

Nick Myers

Organ Technician

    
     Nick is a composer, singer, and keyboardist from Peoria, Illinois. He received his bachelor’s degree in composition from Bradley University and his master’s degree in musical theatre composition from New York University. While living in New York, he worked on various Broadway productions before discovering the theater organ at the United Palace in Washington Heights. Under the tutelage of Grant Chapman of West Point, NY, he began learning organ technology and eventually fell in love with the craft. 
     In 2017, he moved to Philadelphia to work for the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ, heading up many of the projects there, and has worked with various organ builders including Charles Kegg and Mike Foley. He also has spent the last five years under the voicing tutelage of Brant Duddy, finding a deep love for string voicing. He has other ongoing organ restoration projects, such as the United Palace’s Wonder Morton, and the Aeolian-Skinner in St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Jersey City. He is currently the music director at the Parish of St. Monica in Atlantic City, and his compositions are published with Alfred Music.

Bill Boner

Organ Technician

     
     I grew up with a Hammond M3 in our house. My father played it regularly but that was one talent I never picked up on, past a few Christmas tunes and Chopsticks. I still have my father’s M3 in my living room and pretend to play it now and then (yes it works with the original tubes!). 
     My initial tour of Boardwalk Hall was the first time I had ever seen the inside of a pipe organ. I was absolutely astonished at the size and realized the scope of restoration that was being done. For someone with a figure-out-how-it-works kind of mind, I was hooked. I remember asking questions that were more on the mechanical side than the musical side. I figured out right away how the pneumatic actions worked. I figured there had to be some way I could be a part of this team performing this monumental task. The best thing of all is over the past several years I have met and worked with some amazing people. It’s like being a part of a family.  I have learned so much from some of the most knowledgeable people willing to share their expertise. 
     There are so many satisfying projects to work on – a few examples are woodworking refinishing, electrical, and re-leathering pneumatics. One of my favorite projects was making a new Doppel Gedeckt pipe.  I took a pipe home to my shop, measured it, and recreated it. The best part was learning how to make a pipe with two mouths speak correctly and sound musical. I was pleased to find out from Brant Duddy that I had succeeded.  Having CNC machines in my home shop helps in making repetitive parts and specialized tools that help with the restoration.

L. Curt Mangel III

President

     L. Curt Mangel III grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania. At an early age, he became enamored with the pipe organ at the Shea Theater in Buffalo, NY and set out to rescue it from the hall. After seeing the hall, he realized that it too needed saving. He took a job near Buffalo, NY and applied his natural aptitude for mechanics and engineering, eventually becoming the Shea Theater's head of maintenance. He spearheaded a campaign to save the hall, turning it into a venue for organ concerts and off-Broadway productions.

     After moving to Chicago, IL, he saved several movie palaces, which became popular venues for the Second City's active role in live theater. About this time, Jasper Sanfilippo put together his astonishing collection of mechanical musical instruments and built the largest theater organ in the world for his Place de la Musique in Barrington, IL, and Curt became curator. A trip to the historic Wanamaker store in the late 1990s led to Curt offering his help to bring the struggling Wanamaker organ back to regular playability and musicality. With the help of the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ, Curt organized a week-long yearly session of volunteer restoration, resulting in great strides for that organ. During the Lord & Taylor years at the store, he was named curator and brought the organ back to total playability.

     Mr. Mangel is actively engaged in a number of pipe organ projects, including humidity systems for clients such as Yale and Princeton Universities, and an organ for Bryn Athyn Cathedral. In 2014, Curt was elected President of the Historic Organ Restoration Committee in Atlantic City that is tasked with the restoration of the gigantic Midmer-Losh and Kimball organs at Boardwalk Hall.

Larry Sieg

Vice-President

     Mr. Sieg has over 30 years of “hands-on” management experience in all areas of the tourism and hospitality industry.  A comprehensive knowledge of tourism related attractions, businesses, and industries of the Greater Atlantic City region. In addition, he has extensive experience in the hiring, training, supervision, and reporting of staff to execute the specific requests and or desires of each distinct groups or individuals.    

     Sieg serves as director of marketing for the Casino Reinvestment Devlopment Authority, leading the CRDA’s marketing, graphic communications, visitor services, marketing partnership, digital marketing and events management initiatives.  In addition he oversaw the planning, execution and participation in trade shows, conventions and sales missions, as well as sales office representation in the United Kingdom and Canada.

     Sieg has held positions as a board of director as well as officer for many local organizations including the Historic Organ Restoration Committee, the Greater Atlantic City Chamber Commerce, The South Jersey AIDS Alliance and The Greater Atlantic City GLBT Alliance.

     Sieg obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Edinburgh and holds many certifications and credentials the tourism and hospitality industry as well as the graphic design field.

Dennis Cook

Secretary

     Dennis Cook lived in Central Pennsylvania and Canada and educated both the United States and Canada.  He holds degrees in Sacred Music and was appointed Organist/Director of Music and Cultural Events at the Historic Church of the Ascension in Atlantic City for 30 years.  Dennis has been appointed Interim Organist/Director of Music with St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Atlantic City, St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Stone Harbor, NJ.  During his early college years, Dennis worked with several small organ builders in the summer months. Following his college years, he was employed with the late M. P. Moller Pipe Organ Company of Hagerstown, Maryland.
     In 1978 he moved to Atlantic City, still keeping a business relationship with the Moller Company until it’s closing in 1992.  Dennis worked part time as a helper, with William Rosser, Organ Curator of the Boardwalk Hall in his early years living in Atlantic City working with both Midmer-Losh and Kimball Organs of the Hall.  He is owner of Pipe Organ Consultant and Service and maintains and has designed organs in the area, along with consulting with several Insurance companies for appraisal. He spear-headed and handed the restoration of the 1916 M.P. Moller 55 rank pipe organ in the Historic Church of the Ascension.
     Dennis is a long standing member of the American Guild of Organists and past Dean of the South East Jersey Chapter. He is member of the Historic Organ Society, the American Theatre Organ Society to state a few. A long standing member and worked very closely with the former Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ Society until they dissolved. He is a member of the American Institute of Organ Builders. Dennis is a founding member of the Historic Organ Restoration Committee, Inc., a member of the Technical Committee and Secretary of the Corporation.

Kristin Ross Robinson, CPA, MBA

Trustee

     Kristin has worked for the Haas family for over 14 years and is currently the Managing Director for Wyncote Foundation in Philadelphia, PA. She provides strategic and tactical leadership for the Foundation’s financial and operational management. She has a decade and a half of experience supporting charitable entities in the Greater Philadelphia area, and beyond, through her work at private foundations. Her extensive experience evaluating the fiscal health of nonprofit organizations is bolstered by her significant accounting background, initiated at KPMG US LLP.
     Ross Robinson has an undergraduate degree in Accounting and a Masters of Business Administration from Temple University. She currently serves as a Committee Member of the Historic Preservation Commission and Joint Land Use Board of Harrison Township, New Jersey.
 

Joseph Fusco

Trustee

Vicki Gold Levi

Truste

     Vicki Gold Levi is an author and photo editor.  She co-wrote "Atlantic City: 125 Years of Ocean Madness," co-founded the Atlantic City Historical Museum and produced the documentary "Boardwalk Ballyhoo: The Magic of Atlantic City."  She served as an historical consultant on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" and co-authored "Cuba Style" and "Times Square Style."  

Thomas Sykes

Trustee

     Tom Sykes has over 30 years of experience in hospitality design. In 1979, he founded the firm that has since grown into SOSH Architects, and his vision has taken the firm from a solo practice to an award-winning Architectural, Interior Design and Planning firm. With offices in Atlantic City and New York City, SOSH has extensive experience in hospitality and gaming design and has served major hospitality companies worldwide including Caesars/ Harrahs, Trump, MGM, Seneca Nation, Revel Entertainment, Hard Rock, Disney ESPN, Sofitel, Novotel, Storm International, Mohegan Sun, Isle of Capri, Foxwoods, Fantasy Springs and Tropicana, to name a few. Regarded as an expert in the field of hospitality and casino design, Sykes has lectured at many professional associations including Hospitality Design Conference, London Gaming Conference, Princeton University, Cornell School of Hotel Administration and Stockton University; as well as contributed the casino design chapter for John Wiley and Sons, "Building Type Basics for Hospitality Facilities." Sykes received his Bachelor of Architecture with Honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1974 and currently resides in Atlantic City.