Welcome to the Holland Society

A historical and genealogical society founded to collect and preserve information respecting the early history and settlement of New Netherland by the Dutch.

The Holland Society of New York is a historical and genealogical society founded to collect and preserve information respecting the early history and settlement of New Netherland by the Dutch.

The Society was incorporated on May 1st, 1885, by a group of gentleman descended from the original settlers of New Netherland. Membership has since been opened to all direct descendants of residents of Dutch settlements in North America. We welcome all who are interested in this period of history to join us, whether as members or friends of the Society.

The  Society has, since its founding days, attracted a growing membership to its wide range of activities for the descendants of the New Netherland residents. As a historical society, the organization has worked on preserving the history of New Netherland, from the Society’s Library (now donated to the New York State Library) and by publishing the widely acclaimed journal, de Halve Maen.

More information about joining the Society can be found on the Join page of our website.

Officers and Trustees

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Ethan Van Ness
President of the Holland Society - president@hollandsociety.org
Ethan Van Ness joined the Board of Trustees of the Holland Society in 2020 and served as Vice President in 2024 and 2025, before being elected as President in 2026. His father, Stephen H. Van Ness is a Life member.

Ethan Van Ness is a career public servant with more than a decade of experience as a policy and rules staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently serves as Senior Advisor on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

As the son of a history teacher, he is dedicated to ensuring that the American public remembers its history in order to build a better future. He believes that the Holland Society can and must be a key partner in the effort to ensure that our nation's history is accurately remembered, contextualized, and shared effectively with the public.

He looks forward to continuing efforts to expand the Society's influence in the field of early American history and strengthen our bonds with other historical and genealogical organizations in New York and across the country.

Letter from the President - Ethan Van Ness
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Jonathan Doucette
Vice-President of the Holland Society - vicepresident@hollandsociety.org
Jonathan has been a member of the Holland Society of New York since 2021. He served as Secretary during 2023-2025 and as Vice President since 2026. Jonathan grew up not far from where his ancestor Lubbert Gysbertsen Van Blarcom arrived at Rensselaerwyck in 1634.

Professionally, Jonathan is a Group Art Supervisor. His 10+ year career in advertising has included working at BBDO, Grey, and McCann. He is a member of the Union League Club and the Down Town Association. He is actively involved with additional hereditary societies between New York and Massachusetts.

He is a graduate of Pratt Institute and Miami Ad School and has called New York City home since 2011.

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Heili Springsteen
Secretary of the Holland Society - secretary@hollandsociety.org
Heili joined the Board of Trustees in 2024 and was named Secretary in 2026. Born in New Jersey, Heili Springsteen grew up with Estonian food on the table (a legacy of her mother's side) and a Holland Society beaver on the mantle (courtesy of her father Michael and grandfather Louis). Ever since, she's found ways both large and small to link to her heritage in all that she does, including in graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mathematics.

With a keen interest in making good things run great, Heili works in the logistics sector, specializing in data-driven decision-making and in leading process transformation efforts in aviation. Beyond her corporate responsibilities, she serves on the board of the Foundation for Estonian Arts and Letters, where she fosters cultural connections between the global Estonian community and New York City, with a particular focus on engaging young people ages 18-35.

Passionate about developing strategies for longevity and ensuring growth for future generations, Heili is excited for the opportunity to contribute to the Society's initiatives as the 400th Anniversary of New York City approaches. She is currently pursuing an MBA in strategy at NYU Stern, and in her spare time can be found singing in the New York Estonian Mixed Choir and reading about the Apollo space program.

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David Nostrand
Treasurer of the Holland Society - treasurer@hollandsociety.org
David Nostrand was raised in Huntington, NY and now resides in Farmingdale, NY. He is current Treasurer for the Holland Society of New York. He attended Tabor Academy in Massachusetts and has a Business/Finance degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. His father Robert D. Nostrand was a very active member of the Holland Society for many years. David has had many different businesses beginning in high school, working in real estate management in New York City right after college, then the automobile service business in Northport, NY. He began buying buildings 30 years ago. Eventually, real estate became his full-time occupation and he continues to manage his own properties to this day. He and his family are active in boating and RV travel and have a farm in Jeffersonville, NY.

Trustees

Adrian T. Bogart III, Col. (Ret.)
Thomas Bogart
Robert Fagaly
Dizzy Quackenbush Farbanish
Sarah Lefferts Fosdick
Ashley Isaacs Ganz
Katherine Johnson
Hilary McNamara
Stephen Nostrand
Alexander Pappas
James Vandenberg
Kelly VanWormer

The Journal of de Halve Maen

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Dr. David Voorhees
Editor-in-Chief of de Halve Maen - dhm@hollandsociety.org
David William Voorhees is Director of the Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History in the City of Hudson, New York, Editorial Director of the Papers of Jacob Leisler, a National Historical Publications and Records Commission project, and Managing Editor of de Halve Maen, a quarterly scholarly journal devoted to New Netherland studies published by The Holland Society of New York. Formerly the Managing Reference History Editor at Charles Scribner’s Sons and a Co-Editor of The Papers of William Livingston, he received a Ph.D. in history from New York University in 1988. His published works include The Concise Dictionary of American History (1983), The Holland Society: A Centennial History 1885-1985 (1985), and translations of the Records of the Reformed Protestant Church of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, Volume 1, 1677-1720 (1998) and Volume 2, Deacons’ Accounts, 1654-1709 (2009), as well as author of numerous articles on the Dutch and English colonial periods in America. He was a consultant for the “Amsterdam/New Amsterdam: The Worlds of Henry Hudson” exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York and “Dutch New York Between East and West: The World of Margrieta van Varick” exhibit at the Bard Graduate Center in Manhattan, and co-editor of special New Netherland issue of New York History (Fall 2008). In April 2010, HRH Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands made him a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Director Staff
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Sarah Bogart Cooney
Executive Director - sarah@hollandsociety.org
Sarah Bogart Cooney has served as the Holland Society's Executive Director since 2018. She was born in Manhattan and now lives on the North Shore of Long Island with her husband and son. She studied archaeology at the University of Colorado at Boulder and previously worked for Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC.
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Adèle Bernhard Chuchla
Manager of Programs & Events - adele@hollandsociety.org
Adèle Bernhard Chuchla joined the Holland Society of New York in April 2026 as Manager of Programs & Communications. A history major at Columbia University’s Barnard College, Adèle has built her career in non-profit programming and engagement. A native New Yorker, Adèle was born and raised in Brooklyn Heights and now resides in Manhattan with her husband.

161 W 86th Street
Unit 1AW
New York, NY10024

Tel: (212) 758-1675

info@hollandsociety.org