Paul's service was recognized and put forth for nomination by Victoria Torres.

Accomplishments

• Boyle Heights Historical Society: Created a blog, maintains the content and contributes articles
• Workman & Temple Family Homestead: Substantially grown artifacts and arrange extraordinary array of programs and activities for members and the community.
• Historical Society of Southern California: Board member helping them navigate a substantial reorganization

Supporters

I would like to nominate Paul Spitzzeri for a Merit Award in recognition of his outstanding service in sharing the history of Boyle Heights through our website and blog spot.

Paul Spitzzeri has provided over 10 years of service to the Boye Heights Historical Society beginning with our first meeting in April 2005.  He has consistently supported our mission and projects.  In 2011 he worked with our organization to assist us with our images and Essays Exhibit that was on exhibito at the heritage Square Museum and at Occidental College for several months.  He effectively works with all board members (past and present) and provides stellar guidance to all of us.

Additionally, he has participated in our annual History Day events as a guest presenter and birngs photos and historical materials to share iwth our guests.

The Boyle Heights Historical Society has depended on Paul's expertise to maintain our blog spot since 2009. He has writen numberous articles relevant to the history of Boyle Heights.  The blog spot has certainly become a resource for anyone researching the history of Boyle Heights.  I have attached some of the articles he has written on the blog spot as an example of the quality research he provides.  Our blog spot may be reviewed at www.boyleheightshistoryblog.blogspot.com.

Thank you for your consideration and my nomination of Pual Spitzzeri for a Merit Award.

Sincerely,

Victoria Torres, CFO/Secretary
Boyle Heights Historical Society

I have known Paul Spitzzeri for several years and have been aware of his involvement as Assistant Director of the Homestead Museum.  He is an extraordinary local historian.  I have also attended many of the events that he has held at the Homestead and have been very impressed.

I formally met Paul in 2013, after assuming the role of CCHS RVP for Region 29.  I learned that his vision for the Homestead was "Creating advocates for history through the stories of greater Los Angeles".  I believe he is achieving this vision.

I would highly recommend Pual be awarded the CCHS Award of Merit for his contribution to preserving local history.

Best regards,

Ralph H. Thomas
Regional Vice president
Region 29 - East San Gabriel Valley

It is with great enthusiasm that I write this letter in support of a Merit Award for Paul Spitzzeri.  He has not only been dedicated advisory board member and devoted supporter of preserving and sharing the history of Boyle Heights, but has helped the Boyle Heights Historical Society in a multitude of ways.

Mr. Spitzzeri has served as an Advisory Board Member of the Boyle Heights Historical Society for over 10 years and although he has many commitments as the Assistant Director of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum in the City of Industry, he always has made time to participate in our events when requested, offer expertise and guidance in our endeavors and supports our mission with exuberance.

In 2009, the Boyle Heights Historical Society created a blog spot, in lieu of a newsletter, as a means of sharing the history of Boyle Heights with a broader audience.  None of our board members were familiar with blog spots and we needed immediate assistance and expertise.  Mr. Spitzzeri did not hesitate to assist us and has been the gatekeeper of the blog spot since that time. (www.boyleheightshistoryblog.blogspot.com)

Additionally, Mr. Spitzzeri has participated in our annual history day events and brings a wealth of information through his presentations.  In 2011, Paul and I worked together in planning and preparing a major exhibit about the early beginnings of Boyle Heights.  The exhibit - Images and Essays: 1850-1900 was shared with several organizations and displayed within the community.

It is always a pleasure to work with Paul in any aspect and his knowledge and professionalism have been appreciated by all of our board members.

Sincerely,

Diana Ybarra
Founding President/Past President (2014)
Boyle Heights Historical Society

This letter is to nominate Paul Spitzzeri for the Award of Merit in the individual category.  

Paul is currently Assistant Director of the Workman & Temple Family Homestead Museum, where he has built a growing collection of greater Los Angeles Historical artifacts and helps to arrange an extraordinary array of programs and activities for members of the community.

He has just become Vice-President of Historical Resources, Inc. the museum's management company, and, in July, will become its President and the Museum Director.  He is the author of The Workman and Temple Families of Southern California, which was a 2009 Award of Merit winner from the American Association for State and Local History.

Paul has published numerous articles and essays about local and state history in such publications as Journal of the West, California History, Southern California Quarterly, Orange Countiana, Law in the American West, Icons of the American West and the Encyclopedia of Immigration and Migration in the American West.  He also performs as various characters during special events.

Since 2008, Paul has been a director of the Historical Society of Southern California and has been a Second Vice President since 2014.  He has been working with the continuing reorganization of the Society's historic artifacts, amount other projects.

In addition, Paul has served since 2005 as an Advisory Board member with the Boyle Heights Historical Society, manages their blog and website, and helped them organize exhibits the Society had at Heritage Square Museum and at Occidental College.

He is also a consultant with the City of San Fernando for the 1880s Lopez Adobe and wrote their interpretive plan and has been reorganizing the collection of photographs and other artifacts.  He also maintains the Adobe's blog and Facebook page.

Other consulting projects have been with the California State Parks Foundation in 2013 for the Latino-themed conference and the Japanese-American National Museum from 2000-2003 doing oral history and processing borrowed photos for an exhibit on Boyle Heights.

Among his other history-related activities are being a lecturer on the history of Los Angeles-area art collectors for Road Scholar/Elderhostel since 2001; a past president and treasurer of the California Council for the Promotion of History; former sheriff of the Los Angeles Corral of Westerners; a founding member of the local chapter of the Old Spanish Trail Association; a former director of the Historical Society of the Pomona Valley; and a blogger on the histories of the Old Mission community near El Monte, of Carbon Canyon between Orange and San Bernardino counties, and of criminal justice in 1850's-1870's Los Angeles County.

Based on these varied activities related to regional and state history, Paul Spitzzeri has earned Award of Merit recognition from the Conference of California Historical Societies.

Please contact me if you have further questions.

Sincerely,

Paul McClure, Ph.D.
California Director
Old Spanish Trail Association