BOARD MEMBERS

   Dr. Antolini has advised American Rosie Movement since 2015. As a professor of Women’s History and International Studies at West Virginia Wesleyan College, she understands the ties between all-around issues of women and the Rosie the Riveter Program. Before becoming a board member, she supervised students, transcribed interviews, advised on oral history and academic issues, planned a Rosie the Riveter event, and arranged a Rosie display at the Mother’s Day Shrine, where she serves on the board. She obtained a Ph.D. from WV University, after a M.A. in Sociology from Rutgers University.

 Ruth was a friend of Charles Yeager in high school, worked at for Carnegie Steel inside the Naval Ordnance Center in So. Charleston, WV which made sheets for ships and much more. She married a high school sweetheart who was at the Bataan March in the Philippines and was left to die in the “death house” when another soldier saved him. She became the Director of Business Education in WV Public Schools, and then helped advance efforts in South Charleston about the history of that city, including helping to plan the Today Show taping in the Naval Ordnance Plant she had worked in. She lives in Greensboro, NC and teaches WWII veterans about contributions of Rosies. 

Michael’s love is career-and-technical education with strong emphasis in administrative leadership, including classroom management, local and state school administration, and developing and implementing standardized policies and procedures; troubleshooting, building consensus among employees; and creating and coordinating special projects for youth to learn to lead through community service. He is particularly interested in interviewing Rosies and facilitating hands-on education with living Rosies.

Anne returned to West Virginia after working in other states and internationally. She received two M.A. degrees without having to finish the B.A. based on professional-level research, writing and contributions. After an M.A. from Harvard Univ, she was a partner in a Boston-area firm commercialized technologies. She founded a nonprofit based on work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to find technologies to clean and use sediments from navigable waters. She is recognized for good ideas and to work to bring them to reality. Her mother, a Rosie, and her grandfather, a one-room teacher and carpenter on the C&O Railroads influenced Anne to create ways for people to do quality work cooperatively, such as the Rosie the Riveter Project. 

June is a Rosie the Riveter with relatives in occupied nations in Europe. She took drafting classes in high school, then she drafted ship parts in the Philadelphia shipyards while her mother riveted airplanes nearby. She had seven children, has been active nationally and internationally all her life, and has helped significantly in holding educating people in other nations and the Netherlands about the importance of Rosies. 

Col. Smith develops, directs, and executes aircraft maintenance plans, policies, programs, and procedures to manage logistics support for 90 Air National Guard Units. She is with the Aircraft Maintenance Division at the Air National Guard Readiness Center Joint Base in Andrews, Maryland. She grew up in Fayette County, WV, enlisted in the Unites States army in 1987 and has consistently developed her many skills over 32 years. Today she provides overall functional area management oversight for daily, peacetime and wartime, support for 16 Major Weapon Systems, 1200 aircraft, over 40,000 maintenance personnel, encompassing 36 AFSC’s, supporting over 700 Wartime Unit Type Codes. She plans, programs, and executes an annual Weapons System Sustainment budget of more than $3.1 Billion. Col. Smith has been called “Rosie” since her childhood. Today her commitment to the Rosie Legacy is clear – she is moderating our kick-off today to help American Rosie Movement assure that Rosies’ contributions are well-known and passed to the future. 

 Nick received an award from us as a Model Teen to help establish the American Rosie the Riveter Movement, for his work. From age 15 to now, he has helped find and work with youth and young adults who do “Rosie work”, accompanied Rosies on trips to the Netherlands, and helped outreach to other age groups. He is now a college student majoring in Business Administration.