The Emperor Norton Trust

ABOUT :: Leadership

Founder

John Lumea
Educated in philosophy and religion at the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, and Duke University, John Lumea has worked in the nonprofit realm as a communications and branding strategist. After spending a dozen years in New York followed by a decade in San Francisco, where he launched The Emperor Norton Trust in 2013, he now resides in Boston.

As a writer and activist, Lumea's interests have focused on issues in history, urban design, architectural preservation, culture and politics. His writing and projects have been covered in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Bay Guardian — and by KQED, KALW, and Atlas Obscura.

Advisors*

John Law (San Francisco)
Leading Light of the Cacophony Society, Burning Man and the Billboard Liberation Front

Danny Macchiarini (San Francisco)
Sculptor & Metal Artist; Owner of Macchiarini Creative Design

Taryn Edwards (San Leandro, Calif.)
Former Librarian / Strategic Partnerships lead at the Mechanics’ Institute

C. Steven Short (Portsmouth, R.I.)
Former feature producer/reporter for KALW Radio in San Francisco; Former office manager, editor and researcher for Leo Buscaglia, and founding board member of the Felice Foundation

Richard Everett (San Francisco)
Former Curator of Exhibits at the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Dave Schweisguth (San Francisco)
Amateur genealogist, geographer, musician and archivist

David Martin (Davis, Calif.)
Writer, filmmaker and educator

* Previous Advisors to The Emperor’s Bridge Campaign — the organizational predecessor to The Emperor Norton Trust — were the late Charles Fracchia, Founder & President Emeritus of the San Francisco Historical Society; the late Ron Ross, co-Founder & President of the San Francisco History Association; and Judi Leff.

Founding Members

The following individuals contributed to early planning efforts of The Emperor’s Bridge Campaign, the organizational predecessor to The Emperor Norton Trust:

Members in Memoriam

The Emperor Norton Trust accords the Member in Memoriam honor to those who, during their lifetimes, served with distinction in advancing the cause of the Trust or, more broadly, of Emperor Norton and his Empire.

Michael Mattis ( 1964–2014) *
Sabine Luisi (1972–2018) *
Phil Frank (1943–2007)
Robert J. Chandler (1942–2019)
Robert Planthold (1948–2022)
Ron Ross (1936–2022)
Henry Mollicone (1946–2022)

* Founding member of The Emperor’s Bridge Campaign