Four new Regional Vice President’s have stepped up to fill positions across the U.S.
Region 1 – Southern California: Angelo Ismirnioglou
Angelo Ismirnioglou got his first stamp album at a Long Beach stamp and coin shop when he was just five. Living in California, he loves studying Western Express Postal History, which has led to his dedicated research in carriers, locals, and independent mails. He is retired from the United States Navy, where he flew the P-3 Orion. He then went on to fly the L-1011 Tristar commercially, carrying U.S. mail on postal contracts and routes with FedEx, UPS, and other private carriers through their systems worldwide. He brings to philately the same complex research and data analysis skills that he honed during his aviation career.
Angelo has partnered with his daughter, Alexa Valdez, to found Americana Stamps, a philatelic auction house focusing on next-generation advanced research and imagery. They are developing the Philatelic Heritage and Legacy Project. Alexa is a space systems engineer and a graduate faculty member at Johns Hopkins. She brings her passion for United States postal history and the latest technology to the field. Angelo is the Auction Manager of the Carriers and Locals Society annual auction and a member of the US Philatelic Classics Society, Western Cover Society, Collectors Club of New York, and APS.
Region 10 – (Delaware & Pennsylvania): Daniel Telep
Daniel Telep started collecting stamps to mount in his Scott’s Beginner Album when he was 9 years old in Detroit. Today, his philatelic interests have matured to the study of Postal History. As a collector, exhibitor, and author, Danny has specialized in Confederates, Pittsburgh, Sewickley (where he now lives), North Vietnam Military war mail, and, currently, “The Re-Federalization of Southern Post Offices after the Civil War”.
Daniel has competed in the Champion of Champions competition and published over 50 philatelic articles across the Collectors’ Club Philatelist, the Civil War Philatelist, the Pennsylvania Postal Historian, Journal of the Military Postal History Society, and the American Philatelist. He has served as President of the Pennsylvania Postal History Society and Treasurer of the Civil War Philatelic Society. He is presently a trustee of the Civil War Philatelic Society.
Region 12 – (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina): Jerry Palazolo
Jerry Palazolo is a lifelong philatelist and postal historian whose current interests include Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas with a special emphasis on the Civil War period. He is an award-winning author, researcher, and exhibitor. Jerry is a Life Member of the APS, a Life Member of the Civil War Philatelic Society, as well as a member of the American Stamp Dealers Association, the Collectors Club of New York and the U. S. Philatelics Classics Society.
Jerry is the section editor for The Chronicle’s The Cover Corner. He is a former editor of The Tennessee Posts, former associate editor of the Confederate Philatelist, and a regular contributor to various postal history journals.
Region 13 – (Florida): Tom Lera
Thomas Lera was the Winton M. Blount Research Chair at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum (NPM). He has published over 150 articles, edited Proceedings of Symposiums, and written several books and monographs. His articles have been featured in philatelic journals like The London Philatelist, The Collectors Club Philatelist, The American Philatelist, The Congress Book, Kelleher’s Stamp Collector’s Quarterly, the American Stamp Dealer and Collector, and the Florida Postal History Journal.
Thomas is a past president of NAPEX, a member of the organizing committee for Washington 2006, a National WSP judge, and a Director of the Florida Postal History Society. In 1998, he received a Multi-frame Grand Award for his “Bats Masters of the Night” exhibit. In 2009, he received a Single-frame Grand at FLOREX for his “Nitre and Mining Bureau of the Confederacy” exhibit.
Thomas received the 2019 Luff Award for Distinguished Philatelic Research; is a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London; received the Secretary of the Smithsonian Research Prize in 2014; was inducted in the APS’ Write Unit Hall of Fame in 2015; received the Distinguished Philatelic Texan Award in 2015; and the Florida Postal History Award in 2019.
Please welcome Angelo, Daniel, Jerry, and Tom in their new roles.
Regional Vice Presidents support Society outreach and act as a “local” point of a contact within their respective region. The by-laws describe RVP responsibilities and duties as:
- Coordinate Society activities by providing “point-of-contact” support to members.
- Assist the Membership Chairman with recruiting activities in their region.
- Act as Society representative at philatelic shows in their region, arranging for periodic gatherings of society members and seminars on classic U.S. philatelic subjects.
- Act as local representative to support arrangements for the Society Annual Meeting when held in their region.
To find “your” RVP, please see the society map. Each RVP can be contacted via their e-mail address which is available by clicking their underlined name.
