{"id":150143,"date":"2026-06-25T22:51:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T02:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/?p=150143"},"modified":"2026-06-25T22:51:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T02:51:40","slug":"national-museum-of-industrial-history-announces-kenneth-j-rampolla-as-new-board-chair-external-inbox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/?p=150143","title":{"rendered":"National Museum of Industrial History Announces Kenneth J. Rampolla as New Board Chair External Inbox"},"content":{"rendered":"

BETHLEHEM, PA<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 The National Museum of Industrial History (NMIH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kenneth J. Rampolla as Chair of its Board of Directors. Rampolla succeeds L. Charles Marcon, who concludes an extraordinary 12 years of service to the museum and its Board.<\/p>\n

Rampolla joined the NMIH Board of Directors in 2021 and has been a dedicated advocate for the museum\u2019s mission to educate the public and inspire the visionaries of tomorrow by forging a connection between America\u2019s industrial past and the innovations of today. As Board Chair, he will help guide the organization through an exciting period of growth, including the completion of the museum\u2019s Next Level expansion project and the continued development of new educational and community programming.<\/p>\n

\u201cKen brings a unique combination of industrial expertise, entrepreneurial success, and community leadership to this role,\u201d said Andria Zaia, President & CEO of NMIH. \u201cHis deep roots in the steel industry, passion for preserving our industrial heritage, and commitment to strengthening the Lehigh Valley make him exceptionally well-positioned to lead our Board. We are grateful for his willingness to serve and excited for the future under his leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rampolla currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Responsive Marketing, Inc. (RMI), a Hellertown-based sales and marketing agency that acts as a direct sales force for many of America\u2019s leading steel manufacturers. Before founding RMI in 1990, he spent the first decade of his career in various sales and marketing positions with the Bethlehem Steel Corporation following completion of the company\u2019s renowned Loop Course training program. Under his leadership, RMI grew to become one of the largest steel sales agencies in the United States, representing many of today\u2019s leading steel producers.<\/p>\n

In addition to his work in the steel industry, Rampolla is owner and partner of Lost Tavern Brewing, one of Pennsylvania\u2019s fastest-growing craft breweries. Lost Tavern Brewing opened its first brewery and taproom in Hellertown in 2016, expanded to a second location within the historic Moravian Book Shop in downtown Bethlehem in 2019, and opened a third location at the St. Luke\u2019s SportsPlex in South Whitehall Township in 2025.<\/p>\n

Rampolla has also demonstrated a longstanding commitment to higher education and community service. A graduate of Moravian University, he previously served as Chair of the Moravian University Board of Trustees. During his tenure, the university completed numerous transformative capital projects, including the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences, renovations to Comenius Hall, Collier Hall of Science, the Haupert Union Building, Clewell Dining Hall, and John Makuvek Field. He also played a key role in the hiring of Moravian University President Bryon Grigsby.<\/p>\n

As the museum welcomes new leadership, it also recognizes and celebrates the contributions of outgoing Board Chair L. Charles Marcon. Over twelve years of dedicated service, Marcon helped guide NMIH through a period of remarkable growth and transformation. His leadership was instrumental in strengthening the museum\u2019s governance, advancing strategic initiatives, expanding community partnerships, and supporting the museum\u2019s ambitious capital expansion efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cCharlie\u2019s steady leadership, immense generosity, and unwavering belief in the importance of preserving the landscape of our industrial legacy have left a lasting impact on this institution, and this community,\u201d said Zaia. \u201cThe National Museum of Industrial History is stronger today because of his dedication and service. We are deeply grateful for his many contributions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his new role, Rampolla said, \u201cOur mission remains both important and timely. At a moment when innovation continues to reshape our economy and society, we have an opportunity to connect the past with the future. We can inspire young people to explore science, technology, engineering, and skilled trades. We can tell the stories of the diverse men and women whose ingenuity and labor powered industrial progress. And we can ensure that future generations understand not only what America has made, but how those achievements changed the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Chair, I am committed to working collaboratively with our Board, President and CEO, her staff, and our stakeholders to strengthen our museum\u2019s impact, expand our educational reach, grow our audience, and secure the resources needed for long-term success. Together, we will continue to make this museum a destination for learning, inspiration, and community engagement. Most importantly, we will remain focused on our mission: to educate the public and inspire the visionaries of tomorrow by forging a connection between America\u2019s industrial past and the innovations of today. \u201d<\/p>\n

About the National Museum of Industrial History<\/strong><\/p>\n

The National Museum of Industrial History, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, preserves and interprets America\u2019s industrial heritage while inspiring future generations of innovators. Through exhibitions, educational programming, special events, and community partnerships, NMIH explores the people, processes, and technologies that built America and continue to shape its future.<\/p>\n

For more information, visit\u00a0www.nmih.org<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Information provided to TVL by:
\nMegan Pildis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BETHLEHEM, PA\u00a0\u2014 The National Museum of Industrial History (NMIH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kenneth J. Rampolla as Chair of its Board of Directors. Rampolla succeeds L. Charles Marcon, who concludes an extraordinary 12 years of service to the museum and its Board. Rampolla joined the NMIH Board of Directors in 2021 and … Continue reading National Museum of Industrial History Announces Kenneth J. Rampolla as New Board Chair External Inbox<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":101256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\r\n\r\n{excerpt}\r\n\r\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-valley"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thevalleyledger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/NMIH.jpg?fit=672%2C372&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=150143"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150145,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150143\/revisions\/150145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/101256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=150143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=150143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevalleyledger.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=150143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}