Meet the Board — Gloucester Museum Foundation

Board of Directors

A descendent of many generations of Gloucester County residents, Daniel (Danny) Fary’s lifelong passion for the past is fueled by his interest in documenting local and family history. Danny is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a BA in History and holds an MA in Education from the College of William and Mary. He has a long career as an educator with Gloucester County Public Schools and served as principal of Gloucester Intermediate School and Peasley Middle School.
An avid outdoorsman, Danny was recognized by the Department of Wildlife Resources for his dedication to the Hunter Safety program. He is actively preserving local history by renovating the family homeplace, Hickory Hill.

Deborah O. Billups is a native of Gloucester County. She holds a BA from Christopher Newport University and an MS degree from Old Dominion University. Before retiring in 2012, she worked for over 30 years as a Department of the Army civilian supporting soldier and civilian training and education across the globe. After retiring, she continued her service as an Army contractor, where she supported the development and delivery of training and education materials to soldiers until 2020.
Ms. Billups has published articles regarding training support in various US Army publications and has written and edited extensive material included in Army doctrine, training, policy, and planning. Deborah currently volunteers with the Gloucester Museum of History, the Woodville Rosenwald Foundation, and the Gloucester Union Relief Association Youth Programs.

William (Bill) Lawrence was raised in Hampton, but his mother’s people were from Gloucester, and he has very fond memories of visiting his relatives there. Bill has a BS in Nuclear Engineering from North Carolina State University and an MS in Applied Science, Computer Specialization from the College of William and Mary. He worked two years at the Surry Nuclear Power Plant and thirty-two years teaching math and computer software at Rappahannock Community College.
Since retiring in 2004 Bill has written numerous books and articles on the history of Gloucester County. He is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Society. He is the treasurer of the Gloucester Museum Foundation, the Gloucester Historical Society, and the Gloucester Genealogical Society. Bill was awarded the 2014 Award of Merit by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) for his dedication to preserving the history of Gloucester County.

Adam White was born and raised in Gloucester and is a second generation Gloucestorian. His love for history was handed down to him by his parents. Adam grew up blacksmithing, visiting museums, and loved exploring Colonial Williamsburg and historical reenactments. All of these experiences fostered a love and passion for history that has stayed with him throughout his life.
Adam was homeschooled and, in 2015, earned a Biblical Studies Degree from Empower Bible School. In that same year, Adam married the love of his life, Angelina, with whom he shares a love of history and homesteading.
Adam started his own local business, White Mills Landscaping LLC, in 2021. He serves as a deacon at Salt Church. Adam has a passion to help preserve and engage the local community in Gloucester's rich history.

Recognized in 2023 as one of Old Dominion University’s “40 under 40,” Robert Kelly graduated in 2009 with a BA in History. He began his career at Fort Monroe National Monument and served as Casemate Museum Historian from 2011-2019. Robert proposed the $9 million Fort Monroe Visitor and Education Center (FMVEC) and comanaged the development of the center’s exhibits. The FMVEC is a “legacy project” of Virginia’s 2019 Commission.
In 2020, Robert was named Gloucester County’s Museums Coordinator and is responsible for managing the Gloucester Museum of History. As Vice President of the American Friends of Lafayette, Robert is leading Lafayette200 public programming and education efforts. He also serves as President of both the Fort Monroe Historical Society and Peninsula Museums Forum. In 2019, Robert’s publication, “Humanizing the Enslaved of Fort Monroe’s Arc of Freedom,” was featured in Yale University’s Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies. In 2020 he was recognized as a Virginia Humanities Scholar. Robert resides in Fort Monroe, Virginia.