Our Board & Staff

Historic Preservation became a second career for Dick Charlton in 1982 when he moved his CPA firm from downtown DC to Bladensburg, Maryland.  As past-president of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, a College Park resident and University of Maryland graduate, a move of the accounting firm to Bladensburg was a natural development.  A historic partnership was formed to combine with Prince George’s Heritage, Inc. to restore the Hilleary-Magruder House.  A long term lease on the deteriorating house was agreed to and the property was restored for adaptive office use.

In 1983, the Aman Memorial Trust was chartered with the mission of Historic Preservation and Monuments in and about the Town of Bladensburg.  The Aman Memorial Trust has successfully restored the George Washington House, the Market Master’s House, and has funded and guided the creation of the Battle of Bladensburg Monument.  Support was also provided to MNCPPC and the American Legion in their successful argument before the US Supreme Court to preserve the Peace Cross Monument. 

From 1992 through 1996, with Dick Charlton as president, the Bladensburg Local Development Corp was instrumental in successfully promoting the restoration of the Bladensburg Waterfront Park and CSX railroad overpass at Route 450.

Since 1982 historic preservation and development activities have included: 

Maryland Historical Trust (Prince George’s County representative)

Prince George’s Heritage, Inc. (Treasurer and President)

Aman Memorial Trust (Treasurer and Interim President)

Bladensburg Local Development Corporation (President) 

John is a Prince George's County native who has spent his lifetime pursuing projects of historic preservation. As the Chairman of the Aman Memorial Trust since its inception--more than forty years--he has played a defining role in the projects of the Trust, including the Bladensburg War of 1812 Battle Memorial, preservation of the Bostwick House, dedication of Balloon Park, preservation of the Bladensburg Anacostia Waterfront, restoration of Decatur House, and many other projects in and around Bladensburg.

 A sculptor by trade, in 1976, John received national recognition for his efforts on behalf of the Prince George's Jaycee's to preserve the historic inn located in Bladensburg known as the Indian Queen Tavern, also named the George Washington House, saving it from destruction. Thanks to his efforts, the Tavern exists today. His work as co-owner of his family business, Giannetti's Studio, helped to preserve and restore countless historic properties, large and small, throughout the country, including local national treasures such as the White House, the US Capitol, The Library of Congress, Mount Vernon, Monticello, the National Cathedral, and myriad other private and government buildings, as well as embassies, in and around our nation's capital.

He purchased, restored, and lived for 25 years at Hitching Post Hill, an antebellum historic mansion on the National Register, built in 1840 and owned once by Robert Beale, and the home was frequented by Presidents Grant and Cleveland as a country retreat.

A former President of the Prince George's County Historical Society, John has served on numerous commissions and societies dedicated to preserving the history of our communities, our state, and our country. His life's work in historic preservation has earned him numerous awards from local, county, and state historical organizations, as well as earning him the recognition of his work from the Architect of the US Capitol. 

Mr. Parker is a partner with the consulting firm Parker Associates Global, promoting economic and sustainable development. Mr. Parker is Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Prince George’s Community College in Maryland, a Trustee for the Maryland Historical Trust, a board member of the Aman Memorial Trust and Chairman of the Board of the Housing Initiative Partnership.  

From 2006 to 2011, Mr. Parker was Chairman of the Prince George’s County Planning Board and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.  He is a city and regional planner and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.  Mr. Parker has broad community planning and neighborhood revitalization experience in the federal, local and nonprofit sectors.  He is a graduate of Catholic University of America and has a Masters of Regional Planning from Cornell University. 

Susan G. Pearl holds a Bachelor's degree from Brown University and several advanced degrees from the University of Michigan. She taught history and archaeology at the University of Michigan, and then moved to Prince  George's County, Maryland, in the early 1970s.

From 1976 to 1983 she conducted archaeological investigations of several Colonial historic sites in the area.  Beginning in 1978, she was contracted to conduct the County-wide survey of historic properties which led to the enactment (in 1981) of the Historic Preservation Program for Prince George's County.  From that year until 2004 she worked as research/architectural historian for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), as Principal Investigator of Prince George's County's historic sites survey, and as a member of the Planning Department staff that implements that County's Preservation Ordinance.

Ms. Pearl is a frequent lecturer on historical and architectural subjects related to Prince George's County, and periodically leads day-long bus tours of County historic sites.

Ms. Pearl plays in the violin section of the Prince George’s Philharmonic, and serves on the orchestra’s Board of Directors.  In celebration of the Philharmonic’s 50th season, 2015-16, she researched, wrote and  published Prince George’s Philharmonic, 1965-2015, A History.

Ms. Pearl is the author of a number of publications on various aspects of the County's history, architecture and archaeology.

John Giannetti Jr. is a lobbyist that lives in Annapolis, MD. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, and spent 25 years as a litigator. As an associate for the firm of Fosset and Brugger, PC, John practiced in a boutique firm that specialized in Historic Preservation law. John has served on the Aman Trust Board since 2014. 

John served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1998-2002 and in the Maryland Senate from 2002-2006. While in the legislature, John championed numerous historic preservation projects and secured money for the preservation of the historic original Laurel High School building, the Laurel Historical Museum, and other historic buildings in Howard and Prince George's County.

John was instrumental in gaining funding for the Battle of Bladensburg Memorial, and wrote, with the help of John Giannetti Sr and many Maryland historians, the text on the back of the memorial.  

John was the Aman Trust project coordinator for the War of 1812 Bladensburg Monument built in 2014 which included preparing the budgets, writing the grant applications, coordinating the RFPs, grant administration and construction, and coordinating with MNCPPC and stakeholders.

He is President of Chesapeake Business Finance Corp which makes SBA 504 economic development loans to businesses in Maryland and DC and has a portfolio of $100 million. 

Previously he was a senior director of the National Development Council and assisted with the financing of $2 billion of local economic development projects.

He has a MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan.