Kerry Baird grew up in Staten Island, NY and moved to Onancock in 1992. She lives in Onancock with her husband, Doug Matthews, and their four dogs. Between them, they have five daughters and three grandsons. Kerry is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where she studied Psychology, just for the fun of it. She has recently retired from her real estate appraisal business, Baird Appraisals. Kerry has also completed the VA Master Naturalist program given at HOS.

Kerry has been visiting Historic Onancock school for years: the playground and the sleigh riding hill with her kids and grandkids, and many other fun events held there over the years. Kerry loves to garden, boat, and is also very involved with biking, including participating in the CBES bike tour, the Tour de Shore, and the Cap2Cap ride each year.

Moving here has felt like I have come home. My dad’s family originated here. My wife and I bought our house here in Onancock in 2015 and permanently moved in 2018. I got to pick where we retired to. We came here from Washington County, NY where we had a beef farm for 28 years, both of us working full time. We raised two wonderful sons who are NH state troopers. My wife and I often visited HOS to see artists and to take part in other social events. I felt the positive energy of HOS every time we visited. I even knew family members that had attended school here. I respect the ambition of FOS to preserve this historic space and its push to support a “hub” to the Eastern Shore.

Cynthia Serini Downing, a graduate of Onancock High School, has been involved with the Friends of Onancock School project since its beginning in 2007. She has served in several capacities including member of the Board, President of Board, and as an Ex Officio Board member. The dedication to the success of this project is generated by a deep pride of being an alumni of this very special place. Cyndi feels there is much history and heritage that is important to preserve for future generations of those who call the Eastern Shore home.

Patricia Fleck is originally from Farmingdale, NY. She retired in 2019 after an almost 30 year career as a Radiation Therapist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Patricia and her husband, Tony, first visited Onancock about 20 years ago and knew they had found someplace special. They were attracted by the beauty of the shore and the sense of community. In 2021 Patricia, Tony their cat and two dogs were finally able to move to Onancock. Patricia enjoys kayaking, bicycling, gardening and photography. She looks forward to being an active member of the community.

Rick King moved to Onancock in 2017 with his wife Janis (an accomplished sculptor and painter), has been actively involved with art associations, and previously served on the HOS Board. While Rick was still working full time, he volunteered and oversaw the construction of the “LOVE Sign” in front of HOS. He recently retired after 40 years in the home building industry and oversaw the completion of the new playground in 2021. Rick and Janis have four married children with seven grandchildren. Rick is a member of ESVA Historical Society, an active member and golfer at ESYCC and enjoys boating, fishing and wood working.

Margie is originally from Philadelphia. She and her husband retired from the Art Department at UNC Pembroke and moved to Onancock in 2021. They have a studio at HOS, Steppingstone Arts, offering their creative work, jewelry from India, and antiques. Margie earned her MFA (Printmaking) from East Carolina University (2003) and her BA (Art) from Temple University (1982). Her artwork has been in over one hundred national and international exhibitions. Margie’s professional career spans the printing and publishing industry, international ecotourism, and university teaching. She lectures internationally on fine art and design and is co-author of Introduction to Digital Art and Design, 3rd Edition, Kendall Hunt, Publisher. Margie has served on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators (Treasurer), the Red Springs Arts Council (President), the Environmental Conservation Tourism Association (Vice President) and is currently President of Jumbo Arts International. She is the Publisher of the Journal of Creative Arts & Minds.

A native of Florence, Alabama, Will moved to Virginia’s Eastern Shore from Roanoke, Virginia several years ago to join his wife who is the Director of Finance for Accomack County. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and of its law school after which he practiced law for 40 years in the Roanoke valley and throughout southwest Virginia before retiring and relocating. Will was first attracted to the eastern shore when he worked on the shore during the summer after his first year of law school in a migrant farmworker project through Legal Aid. He previously served as Chair of the then 6th district lawyer discipline committee of the Virginia State Bar, on the Roanoke City school board and on several community service boards in Roanoke.

Sarah Nock, an Eastern Shore native, is an Onancock Town Council member and an ex-officio member of the Friends of Onancock School board. As the daughter of a former teacher at the school (Anne Nock – Math, Science, Latin) and an architectural historian (L. Floyd Nock III), she is passionate about preserving the history among us, in particular at the Historic Onancock School.

Ruth Chandler Somers is an Eastern Shore “town of Onancock” native. She is a graduate of the Art Institute of Atlanta and moved back to the Shore to raise her children. Ruth has a good deal of history with the school. She attended OHS the last two years it was open as a high school, her father attended all 12 years of his lower education here, and her grandmother taught here. She is well vested in the history of OHS and the future of HOS.

Serving for the second time as a member the Board of HOS, Haydon Rochester, Jr. is a semi-retired technical writer who currently is chair of the Facilities Committee. He was attracted to the HOS project because of the clear need to preserve public space for the citizens of Onancock and surrounding areas. Although managing a Community and Cultural Center on a shoestring is a challenge, he finds it inspiring to see how many people use and enjoy HOS for an astonishing variety of activities in the arts, music, athletics, education, and personal development.