Our Staff

RON TOELKE
Ron has well over 30 years in the design business. As a graphic designer and then commercial illustrator early in his career, Ron learned to navigate analog print processes, experience that gives him thorough knowledge of print workflow, be it mechanical offset, digital, or navigating online platforms. As a graphic and book/publication designer, Ron is an expert in typography, page design and layout, image assessment and image editing, illustration, and digital workflow. Ron’s passion for history and art informs his design sensibility and provides unique insight and expertise to many of Toelke Associates’ projects. Ron also designed and produced over three dozen history-inspired interpretive games and educational products as partner in Chatham Hill Games, the now-closed company he co-founded in 1991.

BARBARA KEMPLER-TOELKE
Barbara brings over twenty-five years of experience as a copy editor and production assistant to every project. With a background in education, a love for language and a meticulous eye for accuracy, Barbara ensures that every “i” is dotted and “t” is crossed. As a business manager for Toelke Associates since its founding, Barbara maintains the nuts and bolts of the operation while keeping projects on task. 

AMELIA TOELKE
Amelia is a multidisciplinary artist ​​whose work–from jewelry to detailed works on paper in gouache and gold leaf, to public art sculpture–is rooted in the history of adornment, decoration, and material culture. With an active studio practice, Amelia exhibits nationally and internationally and is the recipient of merits such as the Windgate Fellowship Award, the Blair H. and Leah D. Temkin Award, the Ora B. Schneider fellowship. Also an educator, she has taught at SUNY New Paltz, the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Peters Valley.  Amelia has extensive experience working collaboratively, the fluency to work across a variety of digital and analog formats, and the tenacity to problem-solve any project large or small.

ANTHONY LOVENHEIM IRWIN, PhD
Writer, editor, teacher, consultant, and coach, Anthony has spent years on both sides of the publishing world. He has written numerous articles and book chapters for publication, and guided students and writers through every step of the writing process. His own writing and research have received numerous accolades, including a Fulbright Scholarship, a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies, and a Fellowship at the Cornell Society for the Humanities. Additionally, he has taught writing intensive courses at Cornell University, The University of Michigan, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Siena college. He has a keen eye for detail, and a knack for bringing out the elegance and genius in every piece of writing, regardless of length.

SARAH NOVAK
Sarah is a freelance writer, editor, and publications manager who specializes in history, culture, education, and travel. Her extensive credentials include a BA in English, from the College of William & Mary in Virginia, courses at University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and at George Washington University Publication Specialist Program. Sarah has been a managing editor at Berkshire House Publishers in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, an editorial associate for publications and academic journals at Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC, and is a regular feature writer for Dig into History and Calliope magazines. She has also done cultural tourism editing and writing for Norton Countryman Press, Images from the Past, and Great Lakes Seaway Trail.