Tom came to the museum as a volunteer at the tender age of 13. Despite starting with the mind numbing task of painting trim, he stuck with it and managed to get time in the blacksmith shop, as well as learning the art of interpreting on a large scale replica.
Tom was hired on as a seasonal interpreter in 2005. This was right as the Lois McClure was headed out on its Grand Journey, and the staff was stretched thin on the museum grounds. He spent most of his time on the Philadelphia II, learning more about how to present history in an engaging way to the public.
Throughout his time at Hartwick College (getting a degree in Information Science), Tom continued as a seasonal employee of the museum, joining the crew of the Lois McClure in 2007 for the Grand Canal Journey. He started as a regular deckhand, though specifically part of the crew in the small inflatable (the Grey Oocher) used for tight maneuvering and docking. As the tours continued, his role became more involved in the logistics of getting the boat from place to place and all the little details needed to make that work smoothly (though he still is in the inflatable whenever the Lois comes in to dock).
In the last two years, as the museum’s online presence has expanded, Tom has become the coordinator of all the social media content put out by the museum. Facebook (fan page and profile), YouTube, Flickr, and this blog are the main channels used, but he’s always open to new ideas for sharing the latest and greatest happenings at LCMM. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Feel free to comment here, or contact him directly at toml@lcmm.org