Longtime president of the Aurora Historical Society, Mary Clark Ormond, is set to retire from the board of trustees and Shawn Van Kampen has been recently elected to the group.

Ormond, formerly head of the Aurora Public Library and for the last 40 years a community volunteer in fields such as education and horticulture, joined the board in 2010 and has served as president since 2012. A Life Member of the historical society, she intends to retire from office on August 23, 2023.

“I’m looking forward to a little easier schedule” Ormond said, “although I now have a granddaughter who is 2 years old and believe me there is nothing easy about her schedule. But I couldn’t be happier.”

Shawn Van Kampen, a retired land surveyor, was elected to the board in June. He has a particular interest in the western expansion of the United States and is a docent at the Tanner House Museum.

Of Van Kampen, Ormond said “Shawn is going to be a terrific board member and he brings special insights to our story. Aurora might have been just a sleepy little farm town except for the siren song of Manifest Destiny, powered by the pulse of industrial growth brought here by the railroad.” Van Kampen is expected to lecture at a future date on the impact of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and the subsequent Lewis and Clark Expedition.