The Oviedo Historical Society is pleased to annouce our new board members for the 2021-2022 Season. In light of the events of the Pandemic, the current board has taken on overhauling the way our traditional meetings and membership events have been held.
For the safety and comfort of our members, we have elected to organize member events in conjunction with other happenings at the Lawton House and with new partner organizations. Stay tuned as we focus on doing fewer things better and look to incorporate new member socials into our annual planning.
If you are on social media, Like the Oviedo Historical Society and Oviedo Farmers Maket Facebook pages, and join the Oviedo Historical Society Group page to share stories, photos, and videos about Oviedo and community history. It's a good place to meet old friends and engage with new ones.
For our new slate of board members this season, we welcome Bob Putnam and Conner DiMatteo.
About Bob Putnam
BobPutnam is a welcome member to the Oviedo Historical Society Board. He resides in Winter Springs with wife Janet of 52 years and two grown daughters. Bob is a retired Professional Engineer, most recently Siemens & Westinghouse. An active at First Methodist Church of Oviedo, he is the current Chair of the Oviedo Preservation Project. He keeps the pulse on happenings in the community as a founding member of Citizens Advisory Board of the recently launched Oviedo Community News and still fins time for passion projects as Vice President and Founder of the Florida Orienteering club.
You can find Bob at the Oviedo Farmers Market sharing and showcasing his skill as a Broom Maker providing small group classes for the community. He is also an avid runner and dulcimer player. Most notably, during the pandemic, the Oviedo Historical Society was fortunate enough to have this writer and performer of one-man dramas showcasing his talent in several short videos for our History@ Home series. A life-long learner, Bob is also a current UCF student under the Senior Auditor program and a proud and welcomed Board Member of the Oviedo Historical Society.
About Connor DiMatteo
Connor DiMatteo has been a lifelong resident of Oviedo, attending Partin Elementary, Lawton Chiles Middle School, and Hagerty High School. A junior at the University of Central Florida, Connor's major is in Photonic Sciences and Engineering with concurrent minors in Physics, Mathematics, and Pre-Law. As a young leader in the city, Connor believes that the power and minds of Oviedo's youth has untapped potential that can help shape the City's future development and involvement. With this outlook, Connor has become a member of the Oviedo/Winter Springs Optimist Club as well as taking on a greater role within the Society and managing the Oviedo Farmers Market volunteers and non-profit vendors.
Additionally, he has been appointed by the Oviedo City Council to serve on the Sustainability Task Force, bringing new perspectives, ideas, and energy to the future planning of the community. Connor brings with him a variety of skills and ideas to the Oviedo Historical Society. Having participated in Moot Court competitions, focused research in Materials Science, and a variety of civic/community engagement opportunities, he is well equipped to assist in the research, development, and implementation of new ideas within the organization.
Connor frequently engages with Oviedo's youth as a mentor and volunteer at the schools around the city teaching mathematics, science, and public speaking to foster a strong sense of community engagement and civic efficacy in today's young people. He hopes to continue this participation with the community to bring new life to the Oviedo Historical Society and help write the next chapter in Oviedo's history