Joseph Ditler, Executive Director, has lived in Coronado since 1966. A 1970 graduate of Coronado High School, Joe received degrees in Journalism and English at San Diego State University before entering the publishing world. He has owned several publications, and currently writes for magazines around the world. Joe has 15 years of executive staff experience with museums from San Francisco to San Diego. Most recently he worked as development and communications director at the San Diego Maritime Museum, and as a consultant for the National Maritime Museum in San Francisco and the San Diego Children's Museum. He also owns a public relations firm with clients in England, France, Italy, Canada, and the U.S. Joe is also currently working on two books about Coronado.

Dot Harms, Deputy Director, hails from Ohio. She attended Villanova University, majoring in Sociology. Being a "Navy Wife" she has criscrossed the United States and lived in many other countries, most recently Japan. She has three sons which are all graduates of Coronado High School, and call Coronado home.

Emily Darman Allen, Curator and Director of Special Events, comes to San Diego from Washington, D.C. Emily earned her BA as an Art major from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Upon graduating, she taught a furniture-making course and coached the Colby College rowing squad . After returning "home" to Washington, D.C., Emily worked for Creative Parties Ltd. as a Design Consultant, where she helped design invitations and facilitated the planning of special events.

Becky Emerson, Visitor Center Co-Manager, grew up in Portland, Oregon where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Lewis & Clark College. She migrated south after school to spend the following decades in sunny California and Perth, Australia. With a strong background in marketing, and with a two-year stint as editor of a local Coronado magazine under her belt, Becky brings her expertise to promote all that Coronado has to offer to visitors from around the world. She shares the job with Mary Pack and the two of them blend their complementary skills and interests.

Mary Galu Gartner, Museum Store Manager, Having grown up outside the gates of West Point on the Hudson River,Mary has now been a resident of San Diego for thirty years. She was an Art major in New York and continued her studies at SDSU. She has spent many years in the food and beverage industry and has owned two restaurants in San Diego. Mary has a contagious work ethic, and fabulous customer service skills. She comes to us from the San Diego Historical Society Museum Store.

Mary Pack, Visitor Center Co-Manager, was born and raised in Coronado. She is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo where she earned a bachelor of science in Home Economics. Mary has traveled extensively and recently returned to Coronado after three years abroad with the American Embassy in Denmark where her husband served with the military. Mary shares her lifelong knowledge and enthusiasm for Coronado while job sharing the Visitors Center Manager position with Becky Emerson.

Joanie Schwarz, Archivist and Registrar, came to San Diego from the Pacific Northwest. A former United States Marine, Joanie received a bachelor of arts in Social Science, was conferred a master of science in Library and Information Science and is currently working on a master of arts in Military History. She is active in the Lutheran Church.

Trish Tyer, Administrative Support and Bookkeeping, grew up in Iowa and spent several years in Phoenix where she worked as a contract specialist at Luke Air Force Base. She attended Rio Salado Community College and Park College majoring in business. She has spent the last 15 years traveling the globe as a Navy wife living in exotic locations such as Guam, Hawaii and Spain before returning to Coronado in 2006.

Back to Top