• 

  Clare LaVergne

  Owner and Managing Director

  Clare LaVergne began her career at PhotoAssist in 2011. Since then, she has helped the U.S. Postal Service develop a wide variety of stamps and products, created social media marketing campaigns, and managed client relations.

  While living in Portland, Maine, she taught creative writing to students and helped share their voices with the world by publishing their work in books at a literary arts nonprofit. Community-driven, she has served on the boards of neighborhood associations and relief organizations and led writing workshops for adults. She is currently based in France.

  Clare holds a B.A. in creative writing and publishing from Emerson College and an M.A. in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

  

• 

  Sarah Handwerger

  Owner and Director of Rights and Licensing

  As Director of Rights and Licensing at PhotoAssist, Inc., there are few projects in which Sarah Handwerger hasn’t been involved in one way or another. The Appalachian Trail (2025) was one of her favorite U.S. Postal Service stamp projects. Sarah has also worked on numerous projects for other clients with PhotoAssist, Inc., including rights assessment and clearance for film and museum projects and litigation preparation for copyright lawsuits.

  With a B.A. and an M.A. in Art History from Tufts University, and a J.D. from Georgetown University, Sarah is thrilled to have found work that brings together those two parts of her life and education. She is a native of Washington, D.C.

  

• 

  Sidney Brown

  Licensing Coordinator, Founder

  As co-founder of PhotoAssist, Sidney T. Brown has worked with the U.S. Postal Service for over 30 years. She continues to oversee aspects of the research and clearance requirements for the U.S. stamp program. A graduate of Stanford University, she previously worked as a story editor for National Geographic Television, an account manager for the travel-services company USAssist, and a grant writer for National Public Radio.

  

• 

  Sharon McDonald

  Director of Finance and Human Resources

  Sharon McDonald has been part of the PhotoAssist team for 25 years. In her current role, she is charged with helping the company manage overall finances. This includes providing financial strategies, tracking cash flow, proposing corrective actions when necessary, and maintaining good relationships with clients. Sharon provides leadership and guidance to the company's finance and accounting team. She manages all aspects of human resources including employee relations and benefits, retirement, and ensuring that plans are in compliance with laws and regulations. Additionally, she makes certain that we foster a positive, yet effective relationship with our external partners with whom we work regularly.

  

• 

  Sharon Watkins

  Senior Accountant and HR Representative

  Sharon Watkins attended Olivet Nazarene University and later received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and her MBA from Strayer University in Suitland, Maryland. She served in various financial positions beginning with American Security Bank, NA., (now Bank of America) for 13 years as a Customer Service Representative, Supervisory of Teller Services, and an Escrow Agent in the Corporate Trust Department. She also served as the Treasurer of the Board for GateWay Second Chance Foundation for four years.

  She currently serves part-time as the Senior Accountant and HR Representative at PhotoAssist and manages the Finance Department of her church overseeing the Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and several accountants.

  Sharon enjoys helping children and served as a Foster Care and Respite Care Parent for the Methodist Board of Childcare located in Washington, D.C., for six years. For fun, she enjoys traveling in her RV with her family, singing, and signing for the deaf members of her church.

  

• 

  Paula Mashore

  Director of Editorial Research

  Paula Mashore has worked with PhotoAssist for 20 years researching and managing stamp projects for the U.S. Postal Service. She spent the first 20 years of her career in journalism, most of it at NBC News, first at Meet the Press and then as a researcher and producer for the network's documentary unit.

  

• 

  Mary Stephanos

  Senior Researcher and Writer

  With a keen attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, Mary Stephanos has been a text editor with PhotoAssist for more than 20 years. She specializes in topics related to the fine arts, U.S. history, and children's literature but enjoys learning about every subject that crosses her desk.

  Throughout her career, Mary has worked with the U.S. Postal Service, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, the Maryland State Department of Education, and other organizations. Whether preparing background information about a stamp subject, short social media posts, exhibition wall text, or educational curriculum, her work is centered on crafting clear, informative, and engaging content, tailored to each project's unique requirements.

  When not working, Mary likes visiting national parks, strolling through museums around the world, and hiking the best trails just outside her home in central Maryland. She is also an active member of her community, managing a Little Free Library and promoting literacy through community events. She loves reading, photography, all manner of fiber crafts, and spending time with her husband and daughter.

  

• 

  Jeff Sypeck

  Senior Writer and Researcher

  As a writer, editor, and researcher at PhotoAssist since 1999, Jeff has helped the U.S. Postal Service develop stamps on a wide range of subjects, including military history, African American culture, Islamic holidays, fine art, literary figures, Hollywood legends, and more. He wrote the 2003 exhibition “The Art of the Stamp” for the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, co-wrote its 2006 sequel, and wrote the 2010 book The Grandest Things: Our National Parks in Words, Images, and Stamps, published in partnership with the National Park Service.

  Jeff is also the author of the 2006 pop-history book Becoming Charlemagne and co-author of the 2020 book I Have Started for Canaan: The Story of the African American Town of Sugarland. He taught medieval literature at the University of Maryland University College for 10 years and worked as a writer for the Torpedo Factory Artists' Association in Alexandria, Virginia. He lives in an agricultural reserve in Maryland.

  

• 

  Andrew Griswold

  Writer and Researcher

  Andrew Griswold joined PhotoAssist in 2022. A lover of the arts, pop culture, and sports, he feels lucky to have found a job that allows him to engage deeply with subjects of great interest. Some of his favorite USPS projects include Ansel Adams (2024) and the ongoing Lunar New Year series.

  Before joining PhotoAssist, Andrew worked as a teacher and nonprofit administrator. After a decade of teaching English in Washington, D.C., and Maine schools, he joined The Telling Room, a literary arts nonprofit based in Portland, Maine. As creative director, he helped grow their reputation as a national arts education leader through strategic branding initiatives and public events. He earned national media coverage for the organization in The New Yorker, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Fast Company, and Boston Globe, and spoke about youth writing and publishing initiatives at conferences including AWP and SXSW EDU. In 2015, the nonprofit won a prestigious National Arts and Humanities Youth Program award from the White House.

  Andrew lives in Yarmouth, Maine, with his wife and two sons.

  

• 

  Scott Bolohan

  Writer and Researcher

  The son of two former mail carriers, Scott Bolohan has been working as a researcher and writer at PhotoAssist since 2022. His love of sports, history, art, and music is reflected in the projects he’s worked on for the U.S. Postal Service. Some of his favorite stamp projects have been Betty Ford (2024) and Hank Aaron (2024).

  Previously, he was a journalist, tour guide, and professional hand model. In 2020, he founded The Twin Bill, a literary journal publishing baseball fiction, essays, poetry, and art, and hosts its podcast. He coaches the Detroit Tigers kid’s summer camp and gives Yankee Stadium tours. Scott also works in house management at Juilliard and plays on their softball team. He coaches high school baseball and girls’ soccer teams in Manhattan, where he lives with his best friend and soul mate, his cat, Hephaestus, and also his wife.

  

• 

  Sera Alpay

  Writer and Researcher

  Sera Alpay got her start in the field of editorial research and writing at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. Within a few years, her wanderlust got the best of her, so she decided to become an English as a Second Language teacher in order to travel the world. After many years working in Turkey, Jordan, California, and the D.C. metro area, Sera joined PhotoAssist in 2022. She has worked on a range of stamp projects for the U.S. Postal Service, including Winter Woodland Animals (2023), Horses (2024), Autumn Colors (2024), and Garden Delights (2024).

  Sera holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, and a B.A. in Political Science, French, and English from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

  An avid reader and writer, Sera is usually reading at least five books at a time and working on multiple writing projects in her free time. She also loves studying languages and is currently working on learning Italian, improving her Turkish, and finishing a children’s book set in Italy.

  

• 

  Erin Pedersen

  Licensing Coordinator

  Erin Pedersen is a part-time Licensing Coordinator. Her first stint with PhotoAssist was as a rights researcher straight out of college back in the late 1990s. The nature of that work inspired her decision to study law. During law school and following graduation, Erin worked as part of the in-house legal team for various organizations.

  She is recently back at PhotoAssist after several years off to raise her children. She has a background in art history, enjoys running, reading, and drawing, and loves being outdoors with her family and friends.

  

• 

  Pat McGeehan

  Writer and Researcher

  Pat McGeehan joined PhotoAssist in 2015 after 25 years at the National Geographic Society. An admirer of the USPS stamp program and its encapsulation of American history and culture, he feels privileged to contribute to the brilliant, ever-expanding gallery of stamps.

  Some favorite USPS projects have included WPA Posters (2017), Bugs Bunny (2020), Charles M. Schulz and Pete Seeger (both 2022), and Endangered Species (2023). A career highlight: writing and editing a book to accompany the Schulz stamp issuance, and visiting the wonderful Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California.

  A sometimes-cartoonist—deeply influenced by “Peanuts” and Mad magazine—Pat’s cartoons have appeared in periodicals including the Chronicle of Higher Education, Funny Times, and National Geographic World. He has drawn for organizations including Greenpeace, the Reel Affirmations Film Festival, and WTJU-FM, Charlottesville, Virginia. During the 1990s heyday of independent zines, his comics were regularly featured in a nice little bunch of them.

  Pat closed out his National Geographic career as executive assistant to its storied chairman, Gil Grosvenor, after stints answering research inquiries from the Geographic audience and fact-checking hundreds of books and articles.

  A longtime resident of Washington, D.C., Pat prioritizes lifelong learning and minimal commuting.

  

• 

  Deirdre D. Finzer

  Photo Researcher

  Deirdre D. Finzer joined PhotoAssist in 2024.

  She is the former Deputy Visual Research Editor for Oprah Daily, O, The Oprah Magazine: Quarterly, and Prevention at Hearst Magazines, where she worked for 10 years. Previously, she was a Freelance Photo Editor at TV Land, TIME books, The New York Post, Page Six Magazine & Alexa, The International Emmys, and AOL. She worked on staff as a Photo Editor Specialist at National Geographic Magazine (2010–2012), a Supporting Picture Editor at TIME Magazine (2006–10), an Assistant Photo Editor at World Picture News (2004–2006) and as First Assistant for photographer Eddie Adams (2003–2004).

  Deirdre graduated in 2002 from Indiana University with a B.A. in Communications and Culture. She volunteers conducting portfolio reviews for The Palm Springs Photo Festival, NYCFotoWorks, Photoville for the ASMPNY, PhotoNOLA Festival, and the Eddie Adams Workshop. She loves nature, fishing, biking, birding, and photography!

  

• 

  Mara Cherkasky

  Writer and Researcher

  Mara Cherkasky joined PhotoAssist in 2018 as a part-time researcher and writer. Trained as a historian, she has also run her own historical research company, Prologue DC, and the digital public history project Mapping Segregation in Washington DC since 2014.

  While much of Mara’s work at PhotoAssist has centered on stamp projects for the U.S. Postal Service with historical themes, she has also contributed to issuances honoring sports, space exploration, works of art, and a wide range of other topics. Personal favorites include the Innovation (2020), Day of the Dead (2021), Constance Baker Motley (2024), and The Underground Railroad (2024) stamp projects.

  Her Prologue DC projects have included exhibit panels, books and articles for print and online publications, and historic site signage for clients such as the National Park Service, the DC History Center, and the DC Public Service Commission. She co-produced the DC 20th Century African American Civil Rights Tour for the DC Historic Preservation Office and the Downtown DC Women in History Tour for the Downtown DC Business Improvement District. She contributed to about a dozen DC Neighborhood Heritage Trails.

  Mara holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.A. in American Studies from the George Washington University.

  

• 

  Michel Bigelow

  Writer and Researcher

  Michel Bigelow joined PhotoAssist in 2025. He is a once and future semi-professional opera singer who moved around a lot growing up but is more or less from Houston, Texas. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Music and from Roosevelt University in Chicago with an MFA in Creative Writing.

  Over the course of his career, his work has appeared on CBR.com, Study.com, and the stages of both Second City and iO Chicago. Other professional highlights include working as both a teacher and tutor for students in pre-K through high school, selling tickets for both the Houston and Chicago symphony orchestras, assisting medical staff at an ENT clinic specializing in the care of the human voice, teaching Tae Kwon Do, and singing in the house chorus of Houston Grand Opera.

  Michel lives in Chicago with his wife Elizabeth. He spends his free time writing fiction he hopes someone will eventually publish and playing the banjo.

  

Founded in 1989 by husband-and-wife team Louis Plummer and Sidney Brown, PhotoAssist was born in response to a simple question from the U.S. Postal Service: “What do you know about Bill Pickett?”

Starting with a single photograph, we learned everything there was to know about this famous bulldogger and rodeo performer, helping the Postal Service correct a major error in the historical record—and soon becoming one of the most trusted photo research houses in the United States.

Since then, we’ve worked with experts in hundreds of fields to help international publishers, major museums, film companies, and government agencies produce work that’s accurate, well documented, and visually rich. We still love when someone asks: “What do you know and how do you know it?”