Board of Director
Edwardsville
Fred Faust is Vice-Present of Sales for Argo Products Company, a domestic metal fabricator, where he has been employed for over 30 years. Known for his integrity and down-to-earth approach to problem solving, Fred has been a great asset to numerous community organizations including Curtain’s Up Theater Company (founding member and president for 11 years) and the Montclaire Swim Association (16 years). Fred has a deep appreciation and love of history and hopes his many contacts throughout Madison County will be an asset to the Madison County Historical Society. Fred and his wife, Cheri, have been residents of Pin Oak Township for over 25 years. They enjoy visiting their children and grandchildren who reside in various locations in the United States.
Troy
Robert A. Clouse received his B.A. in Anthropology from Indiana State University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Illinois –Urbana. Originally from southern Indiana, he has conducted research in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, Spain and India. He was adjunct faculty at the Universities of Minnesota and Alabama for over 35 years. Most recently he was Executive Director of The University of Alabama Museums, a position from which he retired in 2013. Robert and his wife live in Troy, and take opportunities to travel nationally and internationally as often as practical.
Highland
Arnie was first elected to the MCHS Board of Directors in November 2006 and chosen as Treasurer in January 2010. He is long-time resident of Highland. Arnie spent his entire professional career as an administrator at SIUE, eventually serving as Controller. He retired in 1993 and has found volunteering to be an avocation that “keeps me out of trouble.” He says, “It is a pleasure to serve on the Board of Directors of MCHS.”
Granite City
Tallin Curran is a native of Granite City and is currently employed as the Information Technology and Facilities Manager for the Six Mile Regional Library District in Granite City. One of his responsibilities is the oversight of Six Miles of History, a digital repository of photographs, videos and documents preserving the history of Granite City, Mitchell and Pontoon Beach. Curran has a Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. He currently serves on the Cool Cities Committee, an advisory committee to the mayor and city council in Granite City.
Troy
Leslie Bednar is Executive Director of the Illinois Heartland Library System, a state-supported agency providing services to 520+ libraries in central and southern Illinois. She studied history at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and library and information science at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her career Leslie has worked in historical museums, archives and libraries, all with a goal of connecting people to resources. She lives in Troy with her husband and family.
Marine
Bob Daiber is a lifelong resident of Madison County. He and his wife of 29 years, Karen, reside in Marine and have two grown sons, Ryan and David. Bob is a career educator who served the Triad District for 28 years as a Career and Technical teacher prior to be coming appointed to the office of Regional Superintendent of Schools in 2007. He was then elected for three consecutive terms and retired June 2019. Bob’s public service also entailed serving as a Marine Village Trustee (1997-2001), Marine Township Supervisor (2001-2021), and Madison County Board Member (2002-2007). Bob’s family heritage for five generations is rooted deep in Madison County agriculture. Today he owns and operates a Centennial Farm in Alhambra Township.
Edwardsville
Stephen Hansen joined the MCHS Board in 2017 and currently serves as the Society’s Vice-President. He is Emeritus Dean and Professor of Historical Studies at Southern Illinois University (SIUE). Before his retirement he held a number of administrative posts at the university, most recently as Interim Chancellor. After retiring from SIUE, he continued his scholarly research and remains active as a consultant for institutions of higher education. He has provided active service in a number of capacities for various professional organizations and agencies. He has also served on the Executive Committee/Board of Directors of the National Council of University Research Administrators where in 2013 he was awarded their Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Hansen lives in Edwardsville with his wife, Julie.
Edwardsville
Carol Manning is a native of Alton, Illinois, and moved to Edwardsville in 2017 after her retirement from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois. She served as an Education Coordinator from 2005 to 2016 where she developed lesson plans, lecture series, workshops, adult education programs, and assisted in developing procedures for facilitating school group tours. Prior to her work at the ALPLM, she worked in the Dean’s Office of the SIUE School of Business where she assisted in developing seminars, programs, and events for the Executive and Continuing Education Program. She worked for Illinois State Representative Jay Hoffman as a district office manager. She was also an adjunct instructor of political science and history at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey and at the N.O. Nelson Center in Edwardsville. Her education is from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Bachelor’s degree in history and political science and a Master’s degree in history. She is also a member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, where she serves as president of the Madison County division and is State Historian for the Illinois State LAOH Board.
Edwardsville
Candace Ladd joined the MCHS Board in 2013 and is currently serving as Society President. Candace’s roots run deep in Edwardsville where the Ladd family has resided for four generations. She left Edwardsville for college in Wisconsin and has since lived in Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia and California before returning to Edwardsville in 1991. Candace received a B.A. from the University of San Francisco and an M.B.A. from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She holds a Certification in Production and Inventory Management. Her business background is as a project manager and implementation consultant for a multi-national manufacturing software company. She enjoys traveling, reading, gardening and sewing.
Edwardsville
Stephen Mudge comes from a long line of prominent Madison County attorneys and judges who have practiced here for over 100 years. He has been an attorney for nearly 40 years with Reed, Armstrong, Mudge & Morrissey, P.C. His primary specialty is trial practice, and he also serves as a mediator and arbitrator on personal injury cases on a regular basis. His great, great grandfather, Solomon Hinckley Mudge, moved to Madison County in 1836 and the family homestead is still in the family. Steve spends a considerable portion of his off time maintaining and improving the property, where a home built in approximately 1845 still stands. Steve is a life-long history buff and enjoys outdoor work, home restoration, including barn restoration. Steve resides in Edwardsville, Illinois, and has two sons, John and Taylor.
Edwardsville
Originally from Marine, Jeff has been on the MCHS Board since 2004. He is a second generation surveyor at his business, Madison County Surveyors, Inc. His involvement with the Society has included presentations on surveying as well as the coordination of historic walks for Edwardsville school children. He also served on the Edwardsville Settlement Bicentennial committee. His hobbies include the collection of antique surveying instruments, books, maps, and other memorabilia which he uses to educate the public on the history of surveying. He lives in Edwardsville with his wife Melinda and four children.
Edwardsville
Cindy Reinhardt was elected to the MCHS Board in 2011. As a local historian, she is the author of two books of local history. She also writes and edits newsletters for the Madison County Historical Society and Friends of Leclaire and regularly contributes articles to numerous state and local publications. She serves on the board of the Friends of Leclaire, the Madison County Historical Society and the Illinois State Historical Society. In addition, from 2004-2018 she served on the Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission. She is a retired SIUE book buyer and lives with her husband, Mike, in the Leclaire National Historic District in Edwardsville.
