APS Board Approves New Appointments

At a public meeting held by telephone on November 6, the APS unanimously approved the appointment of Kathryn J. Johnson as Director-at-Large to replace Robert Odenweller. They also unanimously approved Rebecca A. Magyar as Chairman of the Membership Promotion and Recruiting Committee.

Kathryn J. Johnson has served the APS in many capacities. After a thirty-year hiatus from the hobby for career and family, Kathy is now an early retiree interested and able to commit her energies again to philately. She has joined in many efforts recently including Membership Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, helping in analysis of Real Estate issues for the APC, assisting in writing communication documents related to press release needs and long range planning analysis.

Early this summer Kathy attended the Women Exhibitors Seminar at the APC and offered her services to the APS. A short time later, Kathy was back at the APC for the Summer Seminar where she was able to spend more time getting involved with APS activities, joining in a Finance Committee session, and discussing real estate and financial matters with APS board members in attendance. Understanding the need for cost cutting initiatives, to reduce operational spending, Kathy volunteered to spend a week at the APC with Ken Martin to complete a Phase II cost reduction initiative resulting in accepted savings opportunities of over $200 thousand for the 2010 year.

Kathy joined as a junior member in 1976. Active in stamp collecting at an early age, Kathy served as head of the British Commonwealth Study Group of the Junior Philatelists of America, worked on the Membership Committee and eventually served as President of the JPA in the late 1970s. Kathy also was active in exhibiting nationally and internationally (Victorian Era Ceylon), and wrote a monthly column, “The Junior Philatelist,” for The American Philatelist.

Kathy is a native of Pennsylvania and a 1981 Pennsylvania State University graduate. She spent considerable time at the APS during her college years. After her undergraduate work, Kathy moved to Chicago to take a position with Baxter Healthcare. She completed an MBA at Loyola University of Chicago in 1986 with a focus on Operations Management. A decade after starting at Baxter, her area of focus in Real Estate Operations was outsourced to Trammell Crow Company, now a part of CB Richard Ellis. Kathy’s career involved multiple moves to Senior Vice President and Partner, eventually managing all Midwestern accounts including Baxter Healthcare, Dade Behring International, Caremark Inc., Eli Lilly, McDonalds, Quaker Oats, Allegiance/Cardinal Healthcare and others.

After a 20 plus year run at corporate life, Kathy elected to retire early in 2002 to manage her own holding of college student rental properties to prepare them for sale. Getting back in to philately followed the sale of seven properties in 2005 and a big sigh of relief! It is with great happiness, enthusiasm, and pleasure that Kathy is once again getting so highly involved in the hobby.

Rebecca A. Magyar has been actively involved with the American Philatelic Society since 2007. She is the current Vice President of the Mount Nittany Philatelic Society, contributing moderator for the APS’s Facebook site and a member of the Art Cover Exchange, Women Exhibitors, and the APS’s local junior stamp club. Her first philatelic exhibit was on display at this year’s State College Philatelic Exhibition (SCOPEX). In addition, she most recently worked on the layout and indexing of the second volume of Richard F. Winter’s Understanding Transatlantic Mail.

Her volunteer experience began by helping with the local junior stamp club and working as the interim youth director during the recovery of Janet Houser. She continues to work with the youth programs and enjoys sharing our hobby with this group of future philatelists. In addition, Becky has greatly enjoyed volunteering and meeting our members during APS events, such as Summer Seminar, WE Festival, and STAMPSHOW 2009.

Becky is a 2007 graduate of the Pennsylvania State University. She holds an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts, and is just shy of her Bachelor’s degree in Crime, Law and Justice. She has worked in the legal profession as a paralegal for approximately eight years, proceeded by a five-year career in a local public relations firm. While at the public relations firm, Becky was exposed to national media relations for higher education institutions and conference planning.

Becky, her husband Mike, and their 10-year-old revenue collector son live less than three miles from the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Their greatest hobby is family philately, followed by Becky’s love of figure skating and painting.

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