Two new changes have been made to the American Philatelic Research Library Board of Trustees following the resignation of Board Secretary Charles Epting. Epting resigned while pursuing a new career and expecting the birth of his first child.
New APRL Trustee
To replace Epting as Trustee, the APRL Board nominated Richard “Barry” Feddema to fill the remainder of the term, which expires in August 2028. Feddema, APS Member 181678, has been a member of the APS since 1996. APS President Cheryl Ganz approved the nomination, as required by the APRL Bylaws.
Barry enlisted in the United States Air Force after high school, serving four years as a Disbursement Accountant, obtaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. After separating from the service, he attended Steven’s Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering. Professionally, he has worked for almost 40 years in various IT Telecommunication roles, including Hardware design, sales, and end-user positions. His career encompasses both private (Bloomberg LP, Guardian Life Insurance) and public (New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) sectors.
Philatelically, Barry is a “worldie” collecting the world from 1840. He began collecting in his early teens when he received a set of Minkus Supreme Globals for Christmas from his father, also a worldwide collector. He is also a member of the Collectors Club of New York, the Collectors Club of Chicago, and the International Society of Worldwide Stamp Collectors. In addition to his worldwide collection, Barry collects stamp forgeries and philatelic ephemera. Collecting the world and specializing in forgeries has given Barry an appreciation for the vast philatelic knowledge in the various philatelic libraries. He pledges to actively participate in helping the APRL achieve its goal to acquire, provide, and preserve access to philatelic books, periodicals, and exhibits.
He resides in Wayne, NJ, with his wife of 34 years, Eileen, and dog Brody. Together, they have two adult sons and one grandson.
“I am pleased Barry has agreed to join the APRL board of trustees. His many years of professional experience in information technology will be an asset for the digital library's growth.” said Melanie Rogers, APRL President, “He also exudes enthusiasm for the library, which I appreciate.”
New Board Secretary
The APRL Board of Trustees elected Murray Abramson to serve as APRL Secretary. Abramson joined the board in 2022, and his term expires in 2028. Murray is an APS Life Member, first joining in 1986. He joined the Royal Philatelic Society of London in 2016 and was named a Fellow in 2021.
Murray has served on the Editorial Board of The Collectors Club Philatelist and currently chairs the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Duke University and graduated from the Duke University School of Medicine.
He has presented to collectors worldwide, including the Postal History Symposium, The Collectors Club, and the Royal Philatelic Society of London, where he won the Lee Medal for best digital presentation in 2021.
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