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Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM)
Holds Annual Meeting
Robert I. Patrick Returns to the Board
(Provincetown, MA, June 25, 2015) At the 123nd annual meeting of the Cape Cod Pilgrim
Memorial Association held on June 19, 2015. President of the Board of Trustees
Christopher Snow told the members that 2014 was a very good year for PMPM.
“We had a record 94,437 visitors who will be spreading the word that Provincetown was
first,” Snow said. “Provincetown was the Pilgrim’s first destination, a safe harbor where they
signed the country’s first self-governing agreement, the Mayflower Compact. Provincetown was
where they began to explore the New World, had their first encounters on the outer Cape, and
discovered the land they settled as Plymouth.”
Snow told the members that PMPM is in a healthy financial state with operating surplus of
$519,566 after making an aggressive payment on the loan balance taken in February of
2012 to complete the $1,650,000 restoration of the Monument and installation of the new
plaza. “We are making sure that PMPM’s tower rises as the center of Provincetown’s iconic
skyline for generations to come.”
PMPM Executive Director John McDonagh reported that the success of 2014’s Forgotten
Port: Provincetown’s Whaling Heritage” exhibition and collaboration with Center for
Coastal Studies was so popular that it was held over to 2015. He said that the consistently
positive reviews on Trip Advisor rates PMPM as Cape Cod’s top attraction after the
beaches and bike trails.
McDonagh spoke of the ongoing collaboration with Plymouth 400, Inc. and the towns of Cape
Cod for the 400th commemoration of the Pilgrim’s arrival in America in 2020. “We need to be
ready for this exciting international event that we expect could mean a tripling of the number of
tourists to the Cape and Provincetown.”
Robert I. Patrick was appointed to the Board. A sixth-generation
Provincetown native, Patrick founded the landmark Marine Specialties
store. He had served as Trustee for 12 years and stepped down due to
term limits last year. During that time he guided PMPM’s financial success
and he returns to continue to contribute his outstanding work for PMPM.
Returning as officers of the Board are Christopher Snow as President,
and Courtney Hurst as Secretary. Betsi Corea was elected Vice
President and Robert I Patrick was elected Treasurer.
Robert I. Patrick
More….
They join Board of Trustees Fred Ambrose, Stephen Borkowski, Joseph Collins, Paul
deRuyter, Michelle Haynes, Karen O’Connor, Arthur Parker, John Roderick, and Al
Silva.
More information about the Board of Trustees:
Fred Ambrose -What do you do when you need to shore up a century old monument? You call on
building design expert Fred Ambrose. This former Provincetown selectman and now Truro resident is an
expert in moving and reconstructing old buildings so when our beloved monument needed help, Fred,
closing in on his second year as Trustee, went to work. In addition to his building expertise Fred currently
holds 12 U.S. patents for a variety of products we use every day including the office desk tray on your
computer.
Stephen Borkowski – an independent scholar, curator, collector, chairman of the PMPM Collections
Committee, former chairman of Provincetown’s Arts Commission, Administrator, XTRA Corporation
Charitable Foundation and current member Provincetown Historical Commission, Stephen’s experience
in the world of cultural heritage, museums, and exhibitions is formidable. As Chairman of PMPM’s
Collections Committee, he has an intimate knowledge of one of our core assets and has helped to
develop some of our most successful exhibitions. His collaborative nature and efforts in building
relationships with other museums regionally and nationally will bring a significant energy to our future.
Joe Collins - With his role on the PMPM Collections Committee, Joe has managed and underwritten the
cost of restoring and acquiring several prominent items and is especially proud of the Floater Exhibit
which narrates an important chapter in the history of Provincetown. In addition to a strong background in
American antiques Joe also brings to the PMPM a strong background in private banking and personal
trust services, both responsibilities go a long way towards supporting the expansion and strengthening of
the PMPM membership.
Betsi Corea – Vice President - Betsi worked with the institutional investment firm of G. S. Grumman &
Associates in Boston prior to moving to Cape Cod in 1972. She was a principal of the Bryden & Sullivan
Insurance Agency, Inc., a Certified Insurance Counselor and owner and President of the Bryden &
Sullivan Insurance Agency of Truro. She is past President of the Cape Cod Insurance Agents
Association, a Director of the Massachusetts Independent Insurance Agents Association, and the
National Alliance for Insurance Education in Austin, TX. A Truro resident, Betsi is past Chair of the Town
of Truro Board of Assessors and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Seamen’s Bank.
Paul deRuyter - Originally from the Netherlands, Paul immigrated to the U.S. as a young boy. Previously
he’s worked in the international hotel industry and in banking. He’s also worked in intelligence for the US
government and as a consultant with Bain Capital in Boston. More recently Paul has been an
independent financial consultant and part owner of several Cape Cod & Provincetown businesses. Paul
is retired and, with his wife Marilyn, has lived in Provincetown since 1999 when the rebuilding of Whalers
Wharf brought him to town.
Michelle Haynes- A twenty plus year career as a journalist with WBZ-TV and a communications director
in the Weld/Cellucci Administration prepared Michelle for her current position as Director of
Communications and Government Affairs for Cape Air/Nantucket Airlines. Michelle brings writing skills
and PR savvy to the PMPM Board of Trustees where she has served since 2007.
Courtney Hurst - Secretary - This 4th generation Provincetown native is one of the newest members of
the PMPM Board. After earning her degree in Communications from Loyola University, Courtney founded
her own PR/Communications firm in Boston. Her skills in this area are a huge asset evidenced by her
strategic plan targeted at enhanced exposure for the PMPM both in traditional and social media.
Karen O ’Connor – A school psychologist, educator, and entrepreneur Karen comes to the PMPM board
with twenty plus years of experience working with educators and children in a successful business she
founded and recently sold. Karen is continuing to work in education as an independent psychological
consultant advocating for parents and children. Karen has a strong interest in social and environmental
issues and is active with several non-profits. She and her husband own several businesses in
Provincetown.
Arthur Parker - A retired chief of police, Arty began his career in Provincetown and is currently a public
safety consultant and principal of Billingsgate Associates, a litigation support and private investigation
business. With both a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice and an MBA, Arthur has worked as an adjunct
professor, police academy instructor, and volunteers with Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve,
former member of the Wellfleet Personnel Board and is most known as a change agent working in
municipal policing and local government.
John Roderick – John is a native of Provincetown and first began work at the First National Bank of
Provincetown. As President (21 years) and Chairman (2 years) of Seamen’s Bank, John has presided
over one of Cape Cod’s oldest financial institutions and one with whom PMPM has had a business
relationship since its very beginning. The Bank has always had a leadership role with PMPM, and has
provided extraordinary support to the organization. John has had a long-term interest in Provincetown’s
history.
Al Silva – This Provincetown native has worn a number of hats including former chief medical
technologist at Natick’s Metro West Hospital, a teacher at the Carnegie Institute Boston, and, for the past
40 plus years, owner of Truro’s Top Mast Resort, and more recently the Beach Point Health and Swim
Club. With 38 years of experience as President, Vice-President and Board member of the Truro Chamber
of Commerce, Al brings to the PMPM a wealth of invaluable experience in the tourism industry.
Christopher Snow – President - Attorney and lifelong Provincetown resident, Chris succeeds both his
parents as past trustees and is proud to follow his grandfather’s Ralph B. Snow’s past affiliation with the
Monument as an early custodian following his retirement as a Surf man with the US Lifesaving Service
serving the backshore of the Outer Cape. Chris contributes both a legal perspective to the institution’s
challenges and a true insiders’ understanding of the rich historical legacy of the PMPM and its
significance not only to the Cape and Islands, but to the entire country.
About Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum
Dedicated in 1910, the Monument commemorates the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in the new
world -- in Provincetown in 1620. Here they signed the historic Mayflower Compact, the first agreement to establish
a government by the people, the cornerstone of American democracy. They explored the Cape for five weeks and
discovered a harbor beside what was a decimated Wampanoag town of Patuxet, which they settled as Plymouth.
At 252 feet, the Monument is an engineering marvel and the tallest granite tower in the United States.
Visitors can climb the Monument’s 116 steps and 60 ramps at a leisurely pace and enjoy a breathtaking view of the
entire Cape.
The Provincetown Museum at the base of the Monument presents engaging exhibitions of important
chapters in the Town’s distinctive history.
Visitors on Trip Advisor rate PMPM as one of the top attractions on Cape Cod. Reviews from
Trip Advisor