[press release]
Personal Background
I am a California native and attended my first Westpex stamp show as a teenager in 1968. I graduated from U.C. Berkeley’s School of Business with a B.S. in Accounting followed by an MBA degree in 1977.

As a result of a job transfer in 1999, my family and I relocated to New Jersey where we now live. My wife of 32 years and I have two young adult children who are embarking on their own chosen careers.

Philatelic Activities
While I have not parted ways with my blue Scott Internationals, the focus of my collecting interest is Switzerland, in all its permutations. I have several exhibits and I am constantly striving to improve them.

After joining the APS in 1976, my first local stamp club was the East Bay Collectors Club where I served as President in the early 1980s. Following a move to the San Francisco peninsula, I joined the Peninsula Stamp Club and later served as its President until my family’s move to New Jersey.
Today, I am privileged to serve as Treasurer of the APRL, Treasurer and Webmaster of the American Helvetia Philatelic Society (AHPS), Secretary and Assistant Commissioner General of the World Stamp Show-NY2016 Organizing Committee, President of the Collectors Club (New York), and am a member of the NOJEX stamp show committee and the Westfield (NJ) Stamp Club.

Accomplishments Benefiting the Hobby

• Designed numerous local show cachets and cancels and organized the 1983 Lake Merritt Balloon Mail Flight in conjunction with the annual East Bay Collectors Club Stamp Show.
• Presented “Stamp Collecting and the Internet” seminar at the Pacific 97 International Stamp Exhibition in San Francisco
• Organized a successful fundraising campaign among members of the AHPS to support the Switzerland Philatelic Literature Collection at the APRL
• Expanded the volume of Swiss philatelic publications and exhibits that are available for viewing and downloading at the AHPS website
• Formally incorporated and obtained 501(c)3 tax-exempt status for the AHPS
• Obtained an offer of bank financing to complete the permanent APRL space in the Match Factory that was unanimously approved by the APRL Board of Trustees
• Obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce the designation of World Stamp Show-NY 2016 as a “Fair” for the purpose of promoting international trade
• Organized the 2015 visit of the All China Philatelic Federation and the first multi-day stamp exhibition at New York’s Collectors Club in modern times

Professional Qualifications
I am a Certified Public Accountant with an active license in California, a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) Charterholder and a Certified Internal Auditor.

I began my career as a staff accountant at Deloitte in San Francisco, and was promoted to audit manager within five years. The bulk of my career has involved a variety of accounting and financial management positions in the financial services industry culminating in semi-retirement after serving as Chief Financial Officer for Private Banking at U.S. Trust.

I currently serve Riverside Research Institute, a not-for-profit scientific research organization part-time as its Internal Auditor, working with its Board of Trustees on various financial and risk management issues. My part-time status at Riverside affords me the opportunity to also serve philately in volunteer roles.

My Long Term Vision for the APS and APRL

• The APS provides a robust suite of services to members which enhance the experience of the hobby
  The APS and APRL jointly fulfill an educational and cultural preservation mission for the public good
• The Match Factory’s commercial tenants provide long term financial stability to the cultural resource that is the APRL and provides facilities supporting the activities of the APS
• The APS grows in its capabilities and reach to become a “mother ship” organization supporting philatelic activities throughout the United States
• The APS and APRL are valued members of the Bellefonte, PA community which hosts our physical and professional human resource infrastructure

I Seek Your Support
In 2016 I expect to complete six years of service on the Board of Trustees of the APRL including four years as APRL Treasurer. I will be stepping down from that role and am running in the 2016 election for the position of Treasurer of the APS.

I have had the opportunity to develop strong and collaborative working relationships with recent APS Treasurers Kathy Johnson and Ken Nilsestuen and with Controller Rick Banks. These relationships, the knowledge I have gained in serving the APRL, and my professional and philatelic experience combine to make me your best choice as Treasurer of the APS for the 2016-2019 term.

I thank you for your support.

Bruce Marsden

Ken Nilsestuen, current APS treasurer, has announced his candidacy for APS president in 2016. As president he will bring years of leadership experience as a philatelist, as a business professional, and as a non-profit board member.

Ken has stated: “The role of the APS board is to exercise its independent fiduciary oversight on behalf of all members of the APS. The organization will prosper by offering desired services to stamp collectors at all levels. The board must work to see that the APS succeeds, our staff succeeds, and help our new executive director as he learns about the stamp collecting hobby. Through all of this, we, the board, must be responsive to our members.”

Nilsestuen’s business experience includes an over 40 year career as a CPA in the largest accounting firms and at the head of two NYSE-listed corporation tax departments. In the late 1990s he was also co- owner of Summit Auctions, a stamp and ephemera auction house. Throughout his entire career Ken focused on managing clients and his own staff to function as effective teams.

He has also been active in non-profit boards for more than 30 years. In addition to the APS he has served as treasurer or president of the Akron Symphony, the International Institute of Akron, the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Collectors Club of Akron, the Garfield-Perry Stamp Club and the Rubber City Stamp Club.

Ken has been an active philatelist since he was a kid, entering organized philately as a young adult. A Minnesota native, Ken soon became editor of the Twin Cities Philatelic Society newsletter, and over time he joined the APS (1979), CCNY, France and Colonies Philatelic Society, and many other philatelic groups. He has been president of the France & Colonies society for seven years. Ken has been exhibiting for more than 30 years, winning many gold medals and a Grand Award. He made it to the C- of-C in 2010, where he tied for second. Ken qualified for the APS judging corps in 2004, has judged more than 40 shows and is now an active accredited chief judge. This past year he also served on the search committee for the new APS executive director.

In addition to his other accomplishments, Nilsestuen has also written articles for the American Philatelic Congress Book (2004 and 2015) and other publications, mostly on French area philately. In 1999 he co- authored a monograph on Algerian cancels.

Ken believes his extensive business experience, love for the APS and philately, and collaborative leadership style is the necessary combination for a great society and staff guided by an independent and effective board.

[press release]

“The completion of this project will provide secure and appropriate storage for the library’s unique collections and much-needed workspace for our staff, volunteers, and visitors,” said APRL librarian Tara Murray.

The new library space, which will increase the current library’s size by about 50 percent, could be ready to be occupied as early as April 1. The grand opening would be several weeks later to allow time for materials to be transferred from the current library.

The library is within the 100,000-square-foot American Philatelic Center, which occupies the historic former Match Factory in Bellefonte, Pa. The APRL and American Philatelic Society, both nonprofits, share about 55,000 square feet of space while the rest of the facility is leased to 11 tenants.

The Centre Region Planning Agency in July gave final approval to the $2.1 million final phase of the library project. The cost of the entire APRL project is about $3.5 million. A good portion of the final phase is being funded via a $1.3 million gift from Walter Weber of Bellingham, Washington, who passed away in May 2014. It was the largest gift ever received by the APS.

The American Philatelic Research Library is considered one of the world’s most valuable assets in the hobby of philately. The library holds more than 23,000 book titles, and 6,000 journal titles, on its nearly three miles of shelving. More than 30,000 society members are invited to utilize the library’s services, either on-site or from long distance, and the library is open to the public.

“Not only will the new library provide visitors in Bellefonte a more flexible and comfortable space to browse and research, but it will also allow our staff and volunteers to provide better library services to researchers around the world and to carry out digitization, preservation, and indexing projects,” Murray noted.

The new library will take up the bulk of space in the upcoming renovation and construction of 19,500 square feet. The new space will bring together all functions, collections and resources of the APRL, which has been scattered throughout the American Philatelic Center since moving there in 2004.

The new library includes a secure separate rare book room; space-saving compact shelving; public access computers and Wi-Fi throughout; reading lounges; a space for map and large-document storage; a donation-processing room; climate-controlled storage areas; study carrels with lockable storage; and a group study area. It also will include adjoining restrooms, an elevator to offer handicapped accessibility, and a used book and gift shop.

About $1.4 million in prior construction beginning in 2010 — including a new floor, roof, windows, stairwells and structural support — has been completed in the library’s new space.

Veronesi Building and Remodeling Inc. of State College, Pa. is the general contractor on the final phase of the library project.

Overall, the center includes 18 adjacent buildings on about 6 acres of land and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The APS and the library moved from nearby State College into the American Philatelic Center in May 2004. Since purchasing the property — which was an active match factory from 1899 to 1947 — in 2002, the APS has already completed $13.5 million in renovations to the property.

The APS was founded in 1886. The APRL was incorporated in 1968 as serves as the library and archives for the APS. Both are non-profit educational organizations.

The American Philatelic Center employs 31 full time staff and about 20 regular volunteers are on site. The center, at 100 Match Factory Place, is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. business days.

Detailed plans for the library can be found online at stamps.org/userfiles/file/library/Case_for_Support.pdf.

[The two pictures above are from 2013; we are checking to see if the architects’ conception has changed. -LdeV]

The American Philatelic Society, the largest stamp collecting organization in the U.S., has chosen Scott English to be its executive director. He officially starts August 10th. The full APS press release is below.

According to his Linked In profile, Scott English is currently Chief of Staff to Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. The S.C. governor he served as Chief of Staff was also Stanford. In between, he was Chief Operating Officer for the South Carolina Department of Education for exactly the same period that APS vice president Mick Zais was Secretary of Education in that state.

“I encouraged him to apply,” Zais told The Virtual Stamp Club. “I explained to him why it would be a good fit.”

Although English is not a philatelist himself, “he kind of knew [what the APS was] because I would disappear for a couple of weeks every summer for Americover and StampShow,” Zais added.

Zais chaired the search committee, but wasn’t involved in choosing English, he said. They were talking on the telephone one day, when Zais mentioned he was chairing the committee. English asked for more information, because he wanted to move closer to home and where his and his wife’s families live (Maryland). English also told Zais he wanted to get out of politics.

Zais says he told the other members of the search committee “up front that I knew him.”

There were initially 33 applicants for the executive director position. The professional search firm screened them, and narrowed the field down to 15. That smaller group was interviewed via FaceTime, and six candidates were referred to the search committee chaired by Zais. That panel interviewed the candidates using GoToMeeting.com and brought two candidates to Bellefonte for in-person interviews and to meet the staff. —LdeV

[press release]

American Philatelic Society Announces
New Executive Director

Bellefonte, PA — The American Philatelic Society (APS) announced today the hiring of Scott English as its new executive director. Scott has an extensive record of success leading large organizations with multiple constituencies, as well as working with volunteers and fundraising.

As the Chief of Staff to a former Governor of South Carolina, he oversaw operations and policy for 15 cabinet-level agencies, more than 200 boards and commissions, and the Executive Office of the State. His effectiveness in harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of volunteers and the generosity of donors was critical in this position.

As Chief Operating Officer for South Carolina’s Department of Education, he oversaw the operation of a staff of more than 800 providing oversight for 82 school districts, 1,250 schools, 52,000 teachers, and 720,000 students, while supervising the execution of a $4 billion annual budget.

APS President Steve Reinhard stated, “We are enormously pleased that a man of Scott’s experience and talent will be our new executive director. We expect he will make major contributions improving services to our 31,000 members as well as outreach to other philatelic organizations, both in the United States and abroad.

Scott commented, “It’s an honor to join the American Philatelic Society as Executive Director. This organization has a rich tradition, with a dedicated staff and members who share a great passion for stamp collecting. My first priority is meeting as many members as possible in the coming months and learning how the APS can best serve them. I also want to learn how the APS can effectively partner with other organizations with similar interests.” He added, “My family and I are looking forward to moving to Centre County. It is clearly a wonderful place to live. My wife and I will also be closer to our childhood homes and parents.”

Ken Martin, the previous Executive Director, has been offered the position of Chief Operating Officer. In this capacity the APS will continue to benefit from his tremendous experience in the APS and his extensive knowledge of the hobby.

Scott will begin work on August 10, 2015.