THS Welcomes Board Members

October 19, 2019

Tacoma Historical Society is pleased to announce the election of three new members to the board. Each will bring to the Society a wide range of skills and resources. The new members, who will serve three-year terms, are: James (Jim) Catalinich, Gary Pedersen, Nancy (Nan) Peele.

Jim Catalinich graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a degree in political science. He later graduated from the UPS Law School and is a member of the bar association.

He taught history for the Tacoma school system for 24 years. His last assignment was at Stadium, where he served as athletic director and taught advanced placement U.S. history. Jim earned a NEH fellowship in economics at the University of Northern Iowa. He and his spouse Libby live in Old Tacoma.

He recalled developing a keen interest in local history through spending many Saturdays roaming through the Ferry Museum across from Stadium. "I never tired of exploring the building," he said. He added: "I am excited to serve on the board because of my love of history."

Gary Pedersen received a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Puget Sound. He was highly acclaimed for his many years as the manager of Tacoma's Building and Land Use Services Department. Upon retiring from city service, he became a board member of the Master Builders Association of Pierce County, where he soon rose to the position of board president.

During the past decade, he has been involved in a myriad of community activities including: developing and constructing a $20 million mixed-use building, serving as a chief operations officer for Point Ruston and being appointed a director of the Foss Waterway Development Authority, where he became board president. Pedersen said: "I am impressed and excited in the direction Tacoma Historical Society is taking. I am eager to be a part of the action."

Nan Peele earned a BA degree in history and economics at Washburn University in Kansas. She started a career in social work but transitioned into banking and investments. She moved from the Midwest to Tacoma when she was hired as an operations manager for Russell Investments. She retired from Russell before the company was sold and moved to Seattle.

She has been actively engaged in community work, serving on seven boards over the years. More recently she teamed with Nancy Bourne Haley in producing the acclaimed play "The Other Country," which tells the story of Thea Foss. Nan served as the dramaturge for the production. She commented: "I came to admire the Tacoma Historical Society for the eager assistance they provided our team, their customer service, and recommendations and referral to other sources."