ARCS Steering Committee Nominations 2025

VICE CHAIR/CHAIR ELECT 

Alex Palma 

 Lasallian Legacy Baltimore District   

 Philadelphia branch of Lasallian DENA Archives 

 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Alex Palma is an Archivist for the Lasallian District of Eastern North America and works out of La Salle University. Prior to his current role, Alex served in a variety of different capacities at Museums and Historic Sites throughout Philadelphia. He is a proud member of the Organizing Team for Archives 4 Black Lives in Philadelphia, he is also Vice President of the Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia and outgoing Chair for the Delaware Valley Archivists Group. He is also, intermittently, a freelance Grant Writer and Tour Guide. Alex has a MA in Public History and a BA in History and Philosophy from La Salle University.

As an archivist currently working on his own for a religious institute, I understand how groups like ARCS can be a candle in the dark for those lone arrangers that are often working in isolated or under-resourced conditions. I appreciate the work that ARCS has been doing via its workshops and Youtube page to educate folks and give them a source of information as they continue their professional journeys in the space of religious archives. As Vice-Chair, I would seek to sustain the vital functions of this group and work to foster the community that benefits from it. 

   Kathryn (Kat) Oosterhuis, MLIS, CA

Mercy Archives, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Belmont, North Carolina

Kathryn (Kat) Oosterhuis serves as the director of the Mercy Archives and Records Team (MART) for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, supporting the cultural heritage and records management functions across the Mercy footprint. This footprint includes sisters, staff, and properties across the continental United States, Central and South America, Guam, Jamaica, and the Philippines. Kathryn began her tenure with Mercy in 2016 as the archivist/director of Mercy Heritage Center, the centralized archives repository, located in Belmont, North Carolina.

Kathryn’s work spans the sisters, their archival collections, the administration that supports them and their work, and the sponsored, co-sponsored, and personal ministries of Mercy. Such ministries include high schools, colleges, social services, and hospitals, to name a few categories. She has proven to be sensitive to local circumstances and the needs of the sisters, staff, and collaborators, while always promoting best practice according to professional standards. While she manages the centralized heritage repository, Mercy Heritage Center, in Belmont, North Carolina, she also provides support and care to any Mercy property housing cultural heritage, traveling to be present on the local level when needed.

Kathryn has an M.L.I.S with an emphasis on Archives, as well as being a certified archivist. Her background includes work in academic, private, public libraries, art and heritage museums, and academic and special archives. Kathryn was an archivist for the YMCA Minneapolis collection at the Kautz YMCA archives at the University of Minnesota and Project Archivist at the James K. Hosmer Special Collections of Hennepin County Library. Her previous involvements also include archival work with the American Craft Council, a national organization founded to raise awareness and celebrate the American craft movement; work with the American Swedish Institute’s library and archive collection; and work with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

She maintains relationships with several professional organizations, including the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), Archivists for Congregations of Women Religious (ACWR), and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). Several years ago, she participated in the North Carolina Cultural Resources Emergency Support Team (CREST) training program and is a graduate of the national Heritage Emergency and Response Training (HEART) program, sponsored by the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (OEHP).

Kathryn believes in accessibility and transparency in the archives, and without those activities, collecting and documenting the story can be a waste of organizational resources.

Having worked for the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas for almost ten years, I have witnessed firsthand the changing realities of religious communities in this country and beyond. I believe that cultural heritage professionals must be proactively creative in supporting the legacy of religious communities and other religious institutions. I have firsthand experience implementing strategies to collect the story of Mercy, advocating for greater visibility in the historic record, and celebrating the sisters' continued impact on the world.

 I am passionate about collaborating and promoting the work we do as cultural heritage professionals, and the collections under our stewardship. I offer my collective archival and cultural heritage experiences, as well as my passion for this work, to the role as Vice-Chair of ARCS. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the group’s ongoing mission.

MEMBER-at-LARGE:

  Kevin Dusenberry

Kevin Dusenberry serves as the Digital Archivist for the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) of The United Methodist Church, where he oversees all aspects of digital collections management and leads the Commission’s digital innovation initiatives. With a strong focus on systems integration, audiovisual preservation, and digital stewardship, Kevin has launched groundbreaking projects such as the United Methodist Stories oral history platform and 3D digitization of physical artifacts for virtual exhibits. He also played a key role in establishing a partnership with CyArk for large-scale photogrammetry of the United Methodist Building in Washington, D.C.

In addition to his role at GCAH, Kevin is the part-time Archivist for the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference Commission on Archives and History, where he manages the Conference’s collections and conducts research for church members and clergy.

Kevin holds a MLIS with a concentration in Archives Management from Simmons University, a Graduate Certificate in Leadership & Management from Liberty University, and a BA in Film Production from Emerson College. He is a Certified Archivist through the Academy of Certified Archivists. His background includes archival work with WGBH and CBS News Archives, and his professional practice is grounded in a deep commitment to preserving and making accessible the historical legacy of faith-based communities.

As a lifelong United Methodist and a dedicated digital archivist working at both the general and conference levels of the denomination, I bring a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in religious archival work. My current positions have afforded me the opportunity to address digital access, institutional memory, and community engagement in ways that honor the spiritual and historical significance of our collections.

ARCS plays a vital role in connecting professionals who care deeply about faith-based heritage, and I believe my background positions me to contribute meaningfully to this community. I am particularly passionate about expanding access to religious archives through technology, supporting the next generation of archivists, and advocating for underrepresented voices in our historical narratives. If elected as Member-at-Large, I would work to promote collaboration across traditions, encourage knowledge-sharing around digital practices, and help foster a supportive space for those preserving the spiritual records of our world.

   Mark Plaushin

Mark Plaushin OSFS, PhD, has served as the Archivist for the North American Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales for the past two years. He served in secondary and higher education and in a variety of pastoral care positions. He founded a faith-based (501c3) volunteer corps that placed university graduates in one-year ministry positions serving Philadelphia’s urban poor. He retired from the US Army in 2015, in the rank of Colonel, having served as an Infantryman, Chaplain, and Cultural Affairs Officer in Asia, Southwest Asia, Central America, and throughout the US. His PhD was in Public Policy and Administration. He also works with the addicted in Cecil and Harford Counties and as the Archivist for the Northeastern Maryland Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Active memberships include:

American History Association

American Catholic History Association

American Catholic Historical Society

Fox Connor Society – Army Navy Club

Society of American Archivists (Religious Collections and Issues and Advocacy Sections)

Team Rubicon Humanitarian Aid Organization

 Having read the responsibilities for members-at-large in the Steering Committee Manual, I am willing to serve as a member-at-large and do the work assigned. Recently, I began the certification process in Arrangement and Description and seek to become more active in the section and more knowledgeable about archive work.