Joan Berkey is an architectural historian with more than 40 years of experience working with historic buildings and districts, most of them in southern New Jersey. Her area of expertise is writing nominations to the State and National Registers of Historic Places and her subjects have included schoolhouses, taverns, a Coast Guard station, a WWII torpedo bomber, a Coast Guard boat, churches, an octagonal poultry house, several districts, and many, many houses. She also does house histories, furnishings and interpretations plans, and other consulting work for a variety of public and private clients that include the National Trust for Historic Preservation, various municipalities, and numerous historical societies. She is the author of seven books, two of which are scholarly examinations of the ca. 1690-1730 heavy timber frame buildings in Cape May and Cumberland counties. Joan lives in a ca. 1790 farmhouse in Cape May County that she and her husband restored.   

Scott D. Banks is a classically trained vocalist and conductor having studied at Montclair State University, his past has taken him down many pathways to end up at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. After years of success in the retail industry and leading his stores to record profitability he began volunteering at Boardwalk Hall with the pipe organ projects. Eventually a hobby and release from work became his day to day job! He has been involved with numerous non-profits over the years and is enjoying bringing his expertise in marketing and outreach to the Historic Organ Restoration Committee. A member of the Greater Atlantic City Concierge Association and the Public Relations Council of Greater Atlantic City, Scott loves to share not only the history of Atlantic City but also bring exciting events to those visiting from around the world. Scott is also a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians and lends help to local organizations needing guidance with rules of order. He is a Past Master & Secretary of Sextant Lodge #286 F&AM in Manahawkin, NJ and a Past Grand Officer of The Order of the Eastern Star of New Jersey and Organist of Tuckerton Chapter in Tuckerton, NJ. Most recently he has been appointed as Organist & Vocal Music Director of First Presbyterian Church of Tuckerton, NJ. He resides in Little Egg Harbor with his lovely wife Laura, a fellow musician who loves teaming up musically with her husband.

Brett Miller is an organist, pianist, orchestrator, and conductor specializing in silent film accompaniment. His most recent appointment is as music director of the Empire Film and Media Ensemble, a nonprofit based in Rochester, NY that advocates for the education, performance, and production of film music. As a performer, Brett has been a featured soloist for the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic, the author George R. R. Martin, as well as being featured on PBS “State of the Arts” and the Philadelphia Inquirer “We the People.” Brett has received numerous accolades, including an honorable mention at the White House Student Film Festival and as a finalist in the American Theatre Organ Society’s Young Organist Competition. Brett is currently a student at the Eastman School of Music, continuing his academic involvement and advocacy for the education and preservation of silent films through performance live to picture. Brett is an active member of the Garden State, Rochester, and American Theatre Organ Societies and the Historic Pipe Organs and Boardwalk Hall. 

Nelson Johnson is an author, historian, former lawyer, and former judge.

The Honorable Nelson C. Johnson, J.S.C.(Ret’d.) practiced law for 31 years prior to being appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court (Martindale-Hubbell lawyer rating: “A-V”). During his first eight years on the bench, Nelson sat in the Civil Division and presided over 200(+) jury trials. During his final five years on the bench, he was one of three judges in New Jersey assigned to litigation, involving products liability claims. Early in his career, Nelson served in public office. He was elected twice to the Hammonton School Board and then elected to two terms as a member of the Atlantic County Board of Commissioners. 

In the early 1980s, Nelson Johnson represented the Atlantic City Planning Board during the approval of many of the casino properties which exist today. That experience captured Nelson’s interest in Atlantic City’s past and motivated him to write his best-selling book, Boardwalk Empire, which inspired the HBO series of the same name. The sequel, The Northside: African Americans and the Creation of Atlantic City, was published in 2010. His third book, Battleground New Jersey: Vanderbilt, Hague and Their Fight for Justice, was released by Rutgers University Press in November of 2014. In 2021, he released his fourth book, Darrow’s Nightmare, which recounts the two worst years in the life of the legendary lawyer, Clarence Darrow. Nelson believes that Darrow’s Nightmare will warrant treatment on either the “big or little screen.” During the past 15 years, Nelson has made 200(+) presentations on his books. His writings are products of his insatiable curiosity and passion for the written word. 

Nelson lives in Hammonton with his wife, Dr. Johanna Johnson, a retired educator. They are the proud parents of three grown children: The Honorable Sarah Beth Johnson, a New Jersey Superior Court Judge; Ethan Johnson, an FBI agent; and Emily Jokinen, a fashion buyer. They have four grandchildren, Asher, Ava, Sloane, and Johanna Rose.