Board
John M. “Jack” Dempsey
John M. “Jack” Dempsey is an award-winning author and Reviews of his most recent book called it an “outstanding volume” “smartly edited” that “deserves much praise,” “an excellent job,” “well-written” and “very enjoyable.”
He was educated at Michigan State University (Magna Cum Laude) and George Washington University National Law Center (Cum Laude) where he was selected as managing editor of its law review. He is a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, the Society of Midland Authors, and the Society for Women and the Civil War.
Jack has authored and edited several books and articles.
Those books include:
Capitol Park: Historic Heart of Detroit
Ink Trails: Michigan's Famous and Forgotten Authors
Ink Trails II: Michigan's Famous and Forgotten Authors
Michigan and the Civil War: A Great and Bloody Sacrifice
Michigan at Antietam: The Wolverine State’s Sacrifice on Americas Bloody Day
Michigan's Civil War Citizen-General: Alpheus S. Williams
Heart in Tatters: Eunice Hunt Tripler and the Civil War
His Sword a Scalpel: General Charles Stuart Tripler, MD, USA
When Slavery and Rebellion Are Destroyed: A Michigan Woman’s Civil War Journal
WARRIORS FOR LIBERTY: William Dollarson & Michigan’s Civil War African-Americans
He was appointed Chairman of the Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee from 2008-2012. He served on the Michigan Historical Commission from 2007-2018 and was elected its President annually from 2012-2017. He was a gubernatorial appointee to the Michigan World War I Centennial Commission.
A student of the American Civil War since age 8, he co-founded the MCWA in 2013 and has served continuously as one of its officers.
With wife Suzzanne, they reside in a vintage-themed house in Plymouth Township, Mich.
Bradley M. Egen
Bradley M. Egen is an award-winning filmmaker whose passion for history, architecture, art, and social justice have fueled his life’s work. His filmmaking career began in 1998 as a Director’s Assistant on “Antietam: A Documentary Drama Narrated by James Earl Jones” where his experiences living and working on the hallowed ground of Antietam National Battlefield ignited a lifelong passion for storytelling.
He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western Michigan University in 1995, was awarded a full Graduate College Fellowship, and earned his Master of Arts degree in 1997. Bradley is the founder and managing partner of MotionPossible. Bradley and company have produced dozens of films for the Michigan State Capitol Commission, USC Shoah Foundation, The Henry Ford® (Museum), Wisconsin Historical Society, and collaborative works for the National Park Service since 2000.
Through a unique collaboration with the National Archives and The Henry Ford in 2011, MotionPossible was the sole production company granted behind-the-scenes access for the public viewing of the Emancipation Proclamation and was commissioned to produce “United in Freedom: the Emancipation Proclamation.” In 2015, MotionPossible was commissioned by Academy Award®-winning producer and co-founder of Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation, June Beallor, to produce a series of testimony-based short films including “Stronger Than Hate: Parkland” and “IWitness: USC Shoah Foundation” which was featured on the “Schindler’s List 25th Anniversary Box Set Edition”.
Bradley’s alacrity for all-things-historical inspires his personal life as well. He enjoys living in, and restoring, an historic brick home (c. 1861) in rural Kalamazoo, Michigan. In his limited free time, Bradley enjoys restoring mid-nineteenth century furniture (especially American Empire), perusing house museums, traveling, spending time with his awesome family, and rooting for the Arsenal Gunners (English Premier League Soccer).
Bradley can be reached at: b@motionpossible.com. His filmography is available on the Internet Movie Data Base at: Bradley M. Egen.
Brian James Egen
Brian James Egen is an award-winning film director and producer, Civil War historian and lifelong student of history. He has been employed at the Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan for the past 32 years. He currently serves as Executive Producer, overseeing the film department and is a coordinator for the CBS television’s award-winning The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation. In his first 22 years at The Henry Ford, Brian was involved in the agriculture and equine operations, historic base ball program, Model T experience and many of the special program offerings.
Gubernatorially appointed to the Michigan Historical Commission in 2012, Brian currently serves as President and was Chair of the Michigan Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee. He also serves as Chair of the Monroe County Historical Commission, the River Raisin Heritage Corridor and the City of Monroe’s Commission on the Environment & Water Quality. In 2023, he was voted to chair the Michigan’s Statewide Public Advisory Council.
In 2015, Brian co-authored Michigan at Antietam: Wolverine State’s Sacrifice on America’s Bloodiest Day that chronical Michigan’s role during the Maryland Campaign of 1862. Michigan does not have a monument on the Antietam Battlefield, but Brian is currently leading an effort to change that with fundraising efforts that include all book proceeds going toward the project. He has authored articles, prefaces for books, and other manuscripts.
Brian’s dual interest in history and filmmaking has given him experience serving on many historical documentaries for the NPS, History Channel and other outlets. Chief among them was serving as assistant director and historical consultant for Antietam: A Documentary Film for the U.S. Department of the Interior on the Battle of Antietam.
In 2023, Brian was awarded Easten Michigan University’s Alumni of the Year in Achievement. In 2024, he was awarded the Eastern Michigan University’s Distinguished Alumni Award from the History & Philosophy Department. Brian believes passionately about civic engagement and the role citizens have in providing for a better tomorrow. Born in Monroe, Michigan, he lives there in a historic home with his “loves of life” wife, Jody, and daughter, Scarlett.
William Eichler
William Eichler is a full-time member of the motion picture industry. He is a 1996 graduate of Michigan State University.
Will currently works on the TV show “Chicago Fire” as the Director of Photography and occasionally directs episodes. In addition, he is a producer and co-host of “Civil War Digital Digest,” a series created for people interested in Civil War history. Previously, Will has worked on over 20 documentaries on different Civil War topics.
Will has also been an active Civil War living historian since 1989 and is one of the field commanders in Michigan. He has actively helped The Henry Ford with both “Civil War Remembrance” on Memorial Day weekends and “Holiday Nights” by recruiting and then leading Union troops for over a decade.
Will splits time between Washington, MI and Chicago, IL, as work requires. He is married to Wendy Eichler and is the proud father of two daughters.
David Dorsey Finney, Jr.
David Dorsey Finney, Jr. is a veteran of the U.S. Army, David Finney is an award-winning educator and esteemed Civil War historian and lecturer. He has served as an historical commentator for several documentaries and appeared on cable television's History Channel.
For five summers Finney worked as a seasonal interpreter for the National Park Service at Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania Military Battlefield and Petersburg Military Park. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Detroit/Mercy and Oakland Community College.
David taught and chaired the History and Social Studies Department at North Farmington High School, Farmington Hills, Michigan. He received numerous awards including History Teacher of the Year from the Michigan Education Association, American History Teacher of the Year from the Daughters of the American Revolution, the United Daughters of the Confederacy's Jefferson Davis Historical Gold Medal and Michigan's Legion of Merit.
Margaret O’Brien
Margaret O’Brien currently serves as Assistant Secretary of the Michigan Senate. In this role, she assists the Secretary with ensuring the legislative process is followed, the public has access to various documents and resources, and overseeing a staff who supports the Senate. Previously, she in various roles including Secretary of the Michigan Senate, Michigan State Capitol Commission Member, State Senator, State Representative and Portage City Councilwoman.
Prior to her legislative work, she was a real estate agent for over 15 years and was a social worker for nearly 10 years. Since childhood, Margaret has had a love for history that started with family stories about her ancestors. Today, she continues studying her and her husband’s ancestry, enjoys learning the history about places she visits, and acts as an impromptu tour guide at the State Capitol.
A lifelong resident of Kalamazoo County, Margaret lives in Portage, Michigan with her husband. Dating back to the late 1820’s, she is the 7th generation of her family to call Kalamazoo County home. Running, reading, and history are hobbies she enjoys.
Jacqueline Tinney
Jacqueline Tinney currently works part-time as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of Dickinson Wright PLLC. In this capacity, Jackie supports the CEO in managing all aspects of the Firm, including office management, partner relations, governing board, and management group responsibilities. Prior to going part-time with the Firm, Jackie worked at Dickinson for over 20 years as the full time office manager of the Ann Arbor and Lexington branches of the Firm, supported the CEO, and managed the practices of 5 senior level attorneys.
Prior to Dickinson Wright, Jackie worked for Michigan Bell/Ameritech/SBC, retiring from that firm after 30 years’ service. She started work in the steno pool, and eventually worked her way up to the position she had when she retired: Chief of Staff to the President.
Jackie has always been a history buff, and she and her son Michael share a keen interest in the Civil War area, particularly Michigan’s contribution to that effort.
Jackie is a lifelong Michigan resident, born in Detroit and growing up in the small town of Melvindale. Today she resides in Livonia. Her hobbies are reading, gardening, travel, and learning more about history.
Matthew J. VanAcker
Born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, Matthew J. VanAcker is the Director and Curator of Save The Flags, a project to research, display, and conserve 240 battle flags carried by Michigan soldiers in the Civil War, the Spanish American War and World War I.
He also serves as the Director of the Michigan State Capitol Tour and Education Service. He has spoken and written extensively about the Michigan State Capitol and the Capitol Battle Flag collection and is the author of Lansing and the Civil War. Matt is a frequent lecturer around the state speaking about Michigan history and especially its role during the Civil War.
He received his BA from Michigan State University in Secondary History Education and resides in West Lansing with his wife, Mary Kathleen, in an 1885 farmhouse where they raised their four children.