Work and Projects

Practical Experience

2013 – 2015    Executive Director
Blount Mansion Memorial Association, Knoxville, Tennessee

• Administration of Federal Save America’s Treasurers grant and multi-million dollar capital campaign project to restore and preserve 18^th century historic house
• Daily Site administration, budgeting, and development
• Development of Interpretation and Educational programming
• Management of staff, volunteers, and board of directors development

2013, 2014      Independent Consulting
Humanities Tennessee and Clay County History Museum, Celina, Tennessee

• Creation of museums assessment, development and exhibition plans in consultation with board of directors and community members

2013                Director of Collections, Interpretation, and Development
Sam Davis Home and Museum, Smyrna, Tennessee

• Responsible for collections management for the museum and historic home, grant writing and administration, educational programming and events, exhibition planning, interpretation, non-profit organizational management, operations.
• Secured and administered one federal grant and several state and regional awards.

2011, 2013      Graduate Research Assistant
Public History Department, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

• Assistant to the Chair of the History Department. Organized, planned, compiled and wrote Program Newsletter. Planned graduate student orientation. Regional Accessibility Workshopcoordination.

2011                Interim Education Coordinator
Sam Davis Home and Museum, Smyrna, Tennessee

• Scheduled, presented and developed educational programs.
• Coordinated volunteers and demonstrators for events involving animals, volunteers, student, and demonstrators attended by thousands of students.

2010                Education Coordinator
Biblical History Museum, Collierville, Tennessee

• Developed hands-on programming about ancient history.
• Presented programs to students and families.
• Planned, coordinated and implemented new Archaeology day camp.  Conducted summer archaeology camp for 4^th-12^th grade students

2009 – 2010    Graduate Assistant
C.H. Nash Archaeological Museum, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee

• Developed curriculum-based programs to use prehistoric and historic artifacts.
• Cataloged and facilitated the return of no-provenance items to repositories.
• Member of the Museum Assessment Program research team.
• Created Teacher/Group Manual with curriculum-based activities, information for teachers and leaders, and visit information.

2009                Collections Department Intern
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tennessee

• Worked in collections through process of accreditation by Assoc. of Museums.
• Cataloged resources throughout the museum and resource center.
• Researched items in repository and collections.  Worked in collections care, attended collections workshop.

2008 – 2010    Social Studies Instructor
Pink Palace Museum, Memphis, Tennessee

• Developed and presented various curriculum-based history and science programs to students, preschool – high school age.
• Managed inventory, cared for, maintained, revised materials for traveling exhibits.
• Created new curriculum-based educational materials related to women and African Americans. Communicated with teachers to develop meaningful programming.

2007 – 2008    Docent and Intern
Sam Davis Home and Museum, Smyrna, Tennessee

• Guided guests through the main house and the grounds of the historic plantation.
• Provided interpretation and helped present educational programming.
• Assisted with special events. Provided clerical and administrative assistance.

 

Projects

Exhibits and Public History Projects

Selected Exhibits

2019    Printing the Past: SC in 3D;  Horry County Museum – Class Project – Instructor

2016    Charles Joyner Reading Room in the Edwards College, CCU – Class Project – Instructor

2014    Framing History: Art of the Blount Mansion Association Collection, Blount Mansion

2013    Furniture on the Frontier, Blount Mansion
Women’s History Month Special Exhibit: Women of the Davis Plantation

2010    “Sogo Bo: The Animals Go Forth” Exhibit at the University of Memphis
“Fisk University and Freedman Education”, online exhibit

 Selected Grants

2019.  South Carolina Humanities Mini-Grant; with Dr. Carolyn Dillian – Awarded

SouthEastern Archaeology Conference Outreach Grant; with Dr. Carolyn Dillian – Awarded

2017    National Endowment for the Humanities, Common Heritage – Under Peer Review
National Endowment for the Humanities, Humanities Connections – Under Peer Review          

2015    State of Tennessee Grant for Blount Mansion – Administration – Awarded
First Tennessee Foundation Grant – Wrote, Administration   – Awarded
Arts and Cultural Alliance – Wrote, Administration    – Awarded

2014    Community Agency Grant, City of Knoxville – Wrote, Administration – Awarded                First Tennessee Foundation Grant – Wrote, Administration – Awarded
Arts and Cultural Alliance – Wrote, Administration – Awarded
Save America’s Treasures, National Park Service – Administration

2013    Tennessee Historical Commission Grant – Administration
Middle Tennessee Electric Customers Care, Inc.  Grant – Wrote – Awarded
National Endowment for the Humanities Climate Control Grant – Administration
Frist Foundation Technology Grant – Wrote – Awarded
Save America’s Treasures, National Park Service – Administration

Selected Projects and Plans

2019  Mors Mortis Museum public outreach project, with Dr. Trish Biers, Cambridge

2014    Consulting: Exhibition Plan: Clay County History Museum
Consulting:  Museum Assessment for Clay County History Museum

2013    Disaster Plan for Blount Mansion Association properties

2011    Disaster Planning for the Sam Davis Home
Classical History Education Plans

2010    Teacher’s Manual and Visitor Information, C.H. Nash Museum
Roman Archaeology Summer Day-Camp, Biblical History Museum
Mediterranean Gods and Goddesses: Religions of Egypt, Greece, and Rome
Life in Ancient Egypt, Biblical History Museum
The Greeks and Romans, Biblical History Museum

2009    Mystery Box, C.H. Nash Museum

2008    “The Scoop On Poop” Gallery Guides
Life on the Tennessee Frontier, Pink Palace Museum
Native Americans of the Mid-South, Pink Palace Museum