On November 15, 2008, Tom Tarowsky, a retired administrator, adjunct history instructor and Dean of Student Affairs from Belmont Technical College, joined the preservation effort as the Society's part-time Program Director. Tom's employment is funded by a Private Foundation grant, and he brings a special expertise to the project. Mr. Tarowsky writes: “I've always been interested in history, and I saw an ad for the job and thought it sounded like fun, and it is!"

     The project has involved students at different levels since its inception, but the Society members recognized that they were not educators and did not understand the requirements of certain curriculums. It was felt important to locate someone to act as liaison between the Marshall County Board of Education, which has always been highly supportive of the Society's activities, and the project.

     Tom explains his role thus: "I'll try to identify how to engage students and faculty at schools and colleges throughout the area. We'll try to use them as a resource. We have education possibilities from early elementary students up through college research material with everything in the middle."

      In addition to working with the schools, Tom is discovering all kinds of treasures within the written documents of the Cockayne Farmstead. The most recent and fascinating discovery is the VoAg Journal of Sam Cockayne written during the period when Sam attended Moundsville High School from 1935 to 1937. The detailed Journal of the farm's operation begins by describing the farm in 1935, the acreage in grassland and grains and the number and types of farm animals. It is a fascinating discovery that adds valuable information to the project.

     In addition to making connections with the various schools, Tom will soon be writing bi-weekly articles on some of the many treasures connected with the Cockayne Property. It is safe to say that Tom has been bitten by the Cockayne bug, and he definitely is a valuable addition to the preservation effort.