Board of Directors

The Illinois Rural Heritage Museum is proud and honored to have the support and guidance of a high powered Board of Directors.

Wayne Keller is Chairman of the Museum. Also co-Founder and partner of Buy A Farm, a large real estate sales company located in several states. Wayne has a keen interest in old Ag equipment and is a collector.

Charles Greer is President of the Museum. Charlie is an avid collector of farm tractors and is generous with his time as he supports a number of local civic organizations. He’s also a Veteran of the US Army. Charlie’s wife, Mary, is a major contributor to the Museum’s success.

Greg Bigham lives in Pinckneyville, IL with his wife, Cheryl, and four children. Greg and his brother Allen manage Bigham Farms, a large farming operation headquartered near Vergennes, IL. Bigham Farms operates in Perry, Jackson and Randolph Counties. Greg and Cheryl are both very active in the community.

Irl Engelhardt is the former Chairman of the Museum. He is the former Chairman and CEO of Peabody Energy, Chairman of Patriot Coal and co-CEO of The Energy Group. He was also on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 2005-2008 and is active with a number of civic organizations in the local community.

Josh Giacomo is currently serving as President of the American Thresherman Association. He works as lead mechanic with his father at the family owned business, Giacomo Auto Repair. Josh is also an officer and very active in the Pinckneyville Knights of Columbus. He and his wife, Beth, live north of Pinckneyville.

Josh Maschhoff of Carlyle, IL is former Chairman of the Museum. He is a part of the sixth generation of The Maschoff’s, the United States’ largest independent pork producer network. Josh’s degrees include a BS, University of IL, 2007; MS, Purdue University, 2014 and a MBA from Indiana University, 2014. He and his wife, Angela, live in Hoffman, IL with their two sons, Kyler and Brayson.

Vernon Mayer is a farmer in the local community, who enjoys collecting IH equipment. He serves on a number of local agricultural organization boards and is a Veteran of the US Army. He has shown tractors and equipment at the American Thresherman Show for several years.

Gaylen Greer is a Pinckneyville native who works within the community as a heavy equipment mechanic. He devotes his time to several local organizations.

Grant Bigham is a 6th generation farmer in Southern Illinois. Graduated from Pinckneyville High School in 2018, was involved in 4-H and FFA. He will be graduating SIUC with a degree in Agricultural Technology Management in 2023.

Jonathan Schneider is the Customer Business Advisor for BAYER in Southern Illinois. Jonathan is a member of the class of the 2018 Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation whose mission is to develop knowledgeable and effective leaders to become policy and decision makers for the agricultural industry. Jonathan, also a Certified Crop Advisor, is a contributor to his family’s diversified dairy, grain and hay operation. His commitment to his community stems from his early and continued involvement in the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Okawville. He is involved in the Addieville Area Jaycees, where he has served in nearly every officer’s position and was recognized as “Outstanding Local President of the Year” by the Illinois Jaycees. He attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Agribusiness Economics. He and his wife, Krissy, and their two children Hudson and Annley live in Venedy, Illinois.

Helen Mayer has lived in Perry County all her life. She taught school at St. Mark’s Lutheran in Steeleville, served as one of the first Ag in the Class coordinators in Illinois for over 30 years. She has served on and continues to serve on local and district Boards, including the Soil and Water Board, Perry County Farm Bureau, Ag in the Class and PCFB Foundation Boards. In addition, she serves on the Perry County Counseling Board, Five Star Industries Board, and  St. Bruno’s Board of Education.  She serves on the district Board for the LWML, as well as many “jobs” in her church.

Austin McAllister is the Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor at Pinckneyville Community High School. Austin grew up on a small family beef farm in Thebes, Illinois. He attended Shawnee Community College for his Associates of Arts before Transferring to Southern Illinois University where in 2017, he graduated with his Bachelors of Science in Agriculture Education. Austin has always loved local history, especially that of an Agricultural background. He and his wife, Kelsey, reside in Pinckneyville.

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