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Speakers Spotlight
Connect with historians, authors, and educators who bring CCC history to life for schools, libraries, parks, and organizations.
Speakers Spotlight
Passing the Legacy Forward
The CCC Legacy Education Committee developed this resource because members frequently request speaker recommendations. This is not a formal speakers bureau — CCC Legacy provides contact information for direct inquiries. Speakers are historians, authors, filmmakers, and educators whose content focuses on CCC history and promotes the organization's educational mission.
Martin "Marty" Podskoch
East Hampton, CT — Northeast — Connecticut and New York
CCC history in Connecticut and New York
Biography
Marty Podskoch is a retired educator who taught reading for 36 years, with the final 28 years spent at Delaware Academy in Delhi, New York. His interest in historical preservation began in fall 1987 after climbing Hunter Mountain, where he met a fire tower observer. This encounter sparked his research into fire tower history and, eventually, the CCC programs of the Northeast.
Ren and Helen Davis
Atlanta, GA — Nationwide
CCC legacy in America's state and national parks
Biography
Ren and Helen are freelance writers specializing in historical travel and guidebooks with over 25 years of writing experience and six books in print. Ren Davis is a retired hospital executive with a history degree from Emory University (1973) and a Master's in Public Health from Tulane University (1977), who spent 32 years with Emory Healthcare. Helen Davis is a retired elementary educator holding a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University (1973) and a Master's in Education from Georgia State University (1980), who taught in Atlanta Public Schools for 20 years. They have presented on the CCC at numerous national parks including Shenandoah, Glacier, Mount Rainier, Great Smoky Mountains, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
William "Bill" Jamerson
Escanaba, MI — Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan
Musical education and entertainment — CCC history through performance
Biography
Bill Jamerson is an author, PBS filmmaker, and songwriter with two decades of experience researching Civilian Conservation Corps history. He educates audiences through musical performances and video presentations, making history accessible and memorable for all ages. He has performed as the featured entertainer at five national NACCCA conventions and visited numerous CCC state parks across the upper Midwest.
Bill Marcum
Yulee, FL — Florida and Pennsylvania
CCC Company 1333 and the U.S. Army's role in the CCC
Biography
Bill's interest in the CCC began in childhood, with stories told by his grandfather, a senior foreman in two CCC work camps. A collection of memorabilia left in a wooden box after his grandfather's passing spurred further interest, eventually leading Bill to host the first CCC reunion of his grandfather's "boys" in 1983. Four decades later he continues to host reunions and gatherings to collect and share the history of the CCC. Bill has shared that history at historical society events, at schools, and in various publications and other outlets. He enjoys telling young and old what the CCC was and its incredible impact on our nation, and in particular shares the little-known challenges faced by, and contributions made by, the United States Army in support of the program. He always exhibits photographs, textual documents and other memorabilia wherever he is invited to speak.
Phil Naud
Michigan — Michigan
CCC living history, and the American Civil War, WWI and WWII
Biography
Phil Naud is a United States Navy veteran (BTFN, U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN 69) who served during Operation Eagle Claw in the Iran hostage crisis. He holds an MA in History with High Honors from Madonna University, with a thesis on the performance of the 106th Infantry Division in relation to the outcome of the Battle of the Bulge, and did graduate work in Public History and Material Culture Studies at Western Michigan University. For 40 years he has reenacted the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Mexican Border Expedition, the 33rd Division in WWI, the 84th, 101st and 106th Divisions, and the Veterans' Civilian Conservation Corps, and he has taken part in CCC-focused events for the State of Michigan (the Higgins Lake Nursery and CCC Museum), Greenfield Village, and the National Park Service at Prince William Forest Park. He has also spent 27 years working with the developmentally disabled population in community settings and sheltered workshops, including three years supervising community-based job coaching staff.
Get Listed
Are You a CCC Speaker?
Members interested in being listed on the Speakers Spotlight must provide their name, contact information, area of expertise, service territory, honorarium requirements, a brief biography, and any CCC-related accomplishments. Contact the CCC Legacy office to join the list.