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Madison Love, Travis Fisher, and Cameron Wethern working on the Front Entrance Garden expansion project at the Atlanta History Center.

Look anywhere outdoors on our Buckhead campus and you’re sure to see the hard, yet gratifying work of the Atlanta History Center’s Goizueta Gardens and Living Collections team. From planting each stunning bloom in our designated gardens and maintaining Swan House lawn, to taking care of the heritage breed animals on Smith Farm and installing the tree table located in the Entrance Gardens—this team is small but mighty. In addition to their extraordinarily green thumbs, they are also highly knowledgeable in all things science and horticulture. Above all, they are immensely talented and worth getting to know.

The Goizueta Gardens and Living Collections team is an enthusiastic and curious bunch, and their work offers us a glimpse behind-the-scenes into the living history of Atlanta. Keep an eye out the next time you are on campus and exploring our 33 acres of gardens

and grounds. They love to meet new faces when they are not harvesting, planting, composting, leveling, installing, and beautifying Goizueta Gardens:

Brett Bannor (He/him/his) Brett is our Manager of Animals Collections. He takes care of our heritage breed sheep, goats, chickens, and turkeys on Smith Farm and our honey bees at Wood Cabin. He is also responsible for monitoring wildlife around campus and maintaining partnerships with advocacy groups, such as Georgia Audubon and The Amphibian Foundation. Originally from Chicago, IL, Brett has a BS in Zoology from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. His first job was as a zookeeper in Monroe, LA, and since then he has made stops in his career at the Miami Zoo, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Zoo Atlanta, and Stone Mountain Park. He joined Atlanta History Center nine years ago. His favorite aspect of his job is walking Daisy—one of our Gulf Coast sheep. When Brett’s not tending to Atlanta History Center fauna, he loves reading books—and writing one about how sheep have affected American history.

Rosemary Bathurst (She/her/hers) Rosemary Bathurst is our Plant Recorder and Senior Horticulturalist for the Quarry Garden—one of the best native plant collections in Georgia. She leads many garden volunteer workdays and helps catalog and permanently label our plant collections throughout Goizueta Gardens. Her co-workers are what she loves most about her job. Rosemary joined Atlanta History Center officially seven years ago, but she— not surprisingly—volunteered with us for a few years before that.

Laurie Carter (She/her/hers) Laurie is a Horticulturist who has been with Atlanta History Center for 32 years. A native of Atlanta, GA, Laurie has degrees in Psychology and before her gardening career, she worked in psychology and counseling, and gardening. Her favorite part of her job is working in nature. She assists with horticultural tasks campus wide as needed, providing a deep institutional memory of the gardens over time. In her spare time, Laurie loves dog walking and wandering around at estate sales and art exhibits.

Michael Dreyer (He/him/his) Michael joined the Goizueta Gardens and Living Collections team as an Associate Horticulturist half a year ago but previously worked as a GEA at Atlanta History Center for a year and a half. The Tallahassee, FL native has a BA in Political Science and International Affairs from Florida State University. In past chapters of his life, he worked for multiple Florida political campaigns, numerous Atlanta non-profits, food service of all kinds, and as an educator of music theory, guitar, and early childhood education. Most of all, Michael loves this team for their fulfilling work, community feel, and ample opportunities for professional growth and education. When he is not working, he enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, reading, traveling, and listening to “many, many podcasts.”

Lexly Evans (She/her/hers) Lexly is also an Associate Horticulturist. Joining us from Marietta, GA, she is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia where she earned her BA in Horticulture and studied abroad in Europe where she visited and explored a variety of gardens. Lexly also interned at an organic farm in Hawaii. Her primary area of responsibility is maintaining the Entrance Gardens and its upcoming expansions. In her free time, Lexly values sleeping, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her dog.

Travis Fisher (He/him/his) Travis is our Senior Horticulturalist and Plant Records Manager from Franklin, TN. He has been with Atlanta History Center for two years and maintains the native Piedmont woodland habitat of Swan Woods. He also manages the Plant Records program and works closely with Rosemary to catalog all plant collections across campus. With a BA in History and English and a master’s in anthropology/archeology, Travis’s expertise lies in archeology and horticulture. He frequently contributes stories to Atlanta History Center publications and is an ISA Certified Arborist, tracking the health of all trees in Goizueta Gardens. When he is not working outside and learning new things about botany, he prefers birding, fishing, hiking, reading, and spending time with family.

Rachel Holland (She/her/hers) Rachel is our 4-H Youth Development Agent. She joined Atlanta History Center by way of New Braunfels, TX, half a year ago and runs the UGA Extension Office at the History Center. She is responsible for leading the community 4-H club that meets in the classrooms,

specialty clubs with community support, 4-H programs in local schools, and programs throughout Fulton County. Rachel most enjoys teaching citizenship, leadership, and communication to the next generation. She has both a BS in Agricultural Leadership and Development and a master’s in Agricultural Science from Texas A&M. Away from her job, you can likely find Rachel gardening, singing, reading, or making bread.

Tiffanny Jones (She/her/hers) Tiffanny is our Director of Horticulture and has been with Atlanta History Center for four and a half years. Originally from Mt. Vernon, IN, Tiffanny loves the beautiful campus and the wonderful people she calls home professionally. She leads the Horticulture team and serves as the primary liaison between Gardens and Private Events as they collaboratively seek to use the property sustainably and profitably. Tiffanny also supervises independent contractors working for Gardens and communicates how and when our work may be impactful to colleagues and AHC guests. Her background is in public gardening and nursery management, and she holds a BS in Horticulture from Berry College. Her favorite pastimes are drinking coffee, baking scones, working on cars, and spending time with her family and dogs.

Madison Love (She/her/hers) Madison is our Horticulturalist who specializes in formal gardens, including Swan House Gardens and Olguita’s Garden. From Jackson, GA, she has been with Atlanta History Center for six months and loves working alongside a team that prioritizes environmentally sound practices, thus encouraging wildlife communities in the city to flourish. Madison recently graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with a BS in Horticulture. Her hobbies include knitting, reading, birding, and hiking.

Emily Roberts (She/her/hers) Emily is our Director of Urban Agriculture who spends most of her time tending to the gardens and living collections on Smith Farm. She is also responsible for fostering the mission-based connection of Gardens with the entire History Center. Additionally, she leads many of the teamwide sustainability efforts, including composting, good soil stewardship, and integrated pest management. Proudly representing Owensburg, IN, Emily has a BA in International Studies from Indiana University. She has a background in community organizing, advocacy and issue campaigns, and elementary education. Through her work with the History Center, Emily takes pride in growing food to share with neighbors, learning something new every day, and working with an incredible group of hardworking and curious people. In her spare time, she likes to participate in mutual aid projects, read novels and poetry, cook, spend time in nature, and visit loved ones.

Sarah Roberts (She/her/hers) Sarah is the Olga C. de Goizueta Vice President of Goizueta Gardens and Living Collections. She has been with Atlanta History Center for 11 years and most enjoys building this team and working with them all every day. She is responsible for the vision and development of Goizueta Gardens as a public gardens destination and integrating the Gardens and Living Collections with all other facets of Atlanta History Center. She also serves as the Garden Designer and Curator of Living Collections. Sarah is a native of Lilburn, GA and has a BS in Horticulture from Berry College alongside a Professional Garden Design Diploma from Garden Design School in the United Kingdom. For fun, she loves gardening, horseback riding, exploring unspoiled wilderness, traveling, visiting cultural attractions, reading, and piano—but mostly, parenting two lively girls!

Cameron Wethern (She/her/hers) Cameron is the Horticulturalist who spearheads efforts in the Entrance Gardens, including maintenance and upcoming expansions. The Entrance Gardens is the newest component of Goizueta Gardens. She is an Atlanta, GA native and has been with Atlanta History Center for six months. She appreciates the deep interest from the team in continuously learning and the enthusiasm and curiosity they bring to work. She especially loves when teammates share a unique bird sighting or a new flower in bloom. Cameron earned a BA in Environmental Studies and has tons of experience in woodworking and metalworking. She also has a background in vegetable and flower farming. In her spare time, she likes to hike, rock climb, and roller skate.

Atlanta History Center is pleased to recognize and congratulate President & CEO, Sheffield Hale, on being named a recipient of the prestigious Governor’s

Award for the Arts and Humanities in recognition of his decades of commitment to humanities and historic preservation in the state of Georgia.

Sheffield became President & CEO of Atlanta History Center in 2012 following a career in corporate and nonprofit law. His involvement in the humanities stretches back to his young adult years, when, inspired by the passion and involvement of his parents, Anne Sheffield Hale and Bradley Hale, he took an interest in history and historic preservation. After majoring in history at the University of Georgia then pursuing a law career, serving as Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and later Chief Counsel of the American Cancer Society, Inc., Hale continued to develop this passion by becoming deeply involved in statewide causes and organizations. His civic involvement over the years includes the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Atlanta History Center, Fox Theatre and Fox Theatre Institute, the University of Georgia Press, University of Georgia Jere Morehead Honors College, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in addition to other projects. He also served as the co-chair for the City of Atlanta Advisory Committee on Monuments and Street Names Associated with the Confederacy in 2017 and as Chair of the State of Georgia’s Judicial Nominating Commission.

Hale also plays an active role in community revitalization efforts around the city of Atlanta through the lens of historic preservation, including in the Sweet Auburn Historic District. He received the Sweet Auburn Works Preservation Champion Award in 2016 and currently serves on the Board of the organization. Since the start of his tenure at Atlanta History Center in 2012, Hale has pursued a variety of landmark projects and initiatives, including the move of The Battle of Atlanta cyclorama to a newly-constructed facility at the institution’s Buckhead campus, the Confederate Monument Interpretation Guide, which offered research support to communities around the country, and most recently, the launch of a new strategic plan focusing on connecting people, history, and culture to strengthen community and democracy

“Sheffield Hale has had a very positive impact on Atlanta, Georgia and, indeed, the Southeast for many years,” Said Howard Palefsky, Chair of the Atlanta History Center Board of Trustees, “His now ten-year leadership of the Atlanta History Center has further cemented his position as a thoughtful leader; imploring us to examine more closely the elements of our political and civic engagement and identifying areas for improvement.”

Patrick MacRae.

The Cummer Museum is thrilled to announce the appointment of Patrick MacRae as the Doolittle Family Director of Gardens and Horticulture, a firstof-its-kind position endowed through an $800,000 gift from the Doolittle Family Foundation. MacRae previously served as the Director of Public Programs and Education of The Garden Conservancy located in Garrison, New York. He began his new role at the Museum on March 28, 2022.

The 2.5-acre Cummer Gardens are considered to be among the most precious works of art in the museum’s permanent collection. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, the museum’s Olmsted, English, and Italian gardens have a fascinating history stretching back more than 100 years. They bear the imprint of some of the foremost names in landscape design and horticulture including Ossian Cole Simonds, Ellen Biddle Shipman, Thomas Meehan and Sons and the fabled Olmsted Brothers firm. From 2018 through 2019, the gardens underwent an extensive restoration

after they suffered substantial damage due to Hurricane Irma. The museum engaged award-winning landscape architecture firm WLA Studio as a consultant to lead the garden reconstruction. The involvement of prestigious firms throughout the history of the Gardens adds to their national significance.

In addition to its plantings and mature oak tree canopy, features such as reflecting pools, fountains, arbors, antique ornaments, and sculptures help create a special outdoor space that provides a perfect complement to the museum’s art-based collections.

“I am energized by the opportunity to be joining the Cummer team at a tremendous inflection point—the mix of outstanding leadership, a compelling legacy, and a bold vision makes me believe that this organization is poised to fully realize its potential as a cultural catalyst for the city and beyond,” says MacRae. “Public gardens are essential community assets—the gardens at the Cummer can help to ensure that the museum is a wonderful and welcoming place for all. I am grateful for this opportunity to steward the gardens with respect for their history and with a focus on their vibrant future.”

Nedra Davis Hains.

Nedra Davis Hains is a key member of the senior leadership team of LSU Museum of Art, charged with maintaining the museum’s day-to-day business operations and advancing its strategic goals. She partners with the LSU MOA Executive Director and others on organizational initiatives, strategic planning, and policy decisions; ensures that the museum’s strategic goals are met in creative and efficient ways; furthers the organizational mission of the museum by setting operational standards and administrative processes; and acts as liaison with LSU finance, human resources, general counsel, facilities planning & operations, IT, development, and visitor services components. In addition to these internal business functions, Nedra contributes essential leadership for institutional partnerships by guiding the successful implementation of programs and initiatives that broaden the museum’s reach, increase its audience, expand contributed and earned revenue, and advance its reputation regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Nedra has remained actively engaged in the art community through volunteerism and financial support of artists throughout her 23+ year tenure in engineering. She also currently serves as an appointed commissioner on the East Baton Rouge Parish Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) housed in the EBRP Planning Division. The HPC is concerned with preserving material culture in our historic neighborhoods of EBRP.

Nedra is an advocate for cultural and historic preservation by participating in Legislative Flyins. She continues to be an advocate for Infrastructure through her participation in the American Society of Civil Engineers Legislative Fly-in. She also is a proud member of the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians and Congressman Garret Graves’ Gris-Gris Krewe, which brings the pageantry, revelry, and mystery of Mardi Gras to our nation’s capital. She is currently working on her doctorate (DDes in cultural preservation) in the LSU College of Art & Design.

SEMC industry partner, Exhibit Concepts, Inc. is proud to announce the promotion of Karimey Berbach to Marketing Director. Berbach will oversee Exhibit Concepts marketing efforts including strategic marketing planning, brand development and awareness, demand generation efforts, sales support, and competitive bid efforts across all Exhibit Concepts’ lines of business. She is also professionally

Karimey Berbach.

and personally passionate about brand culture and corporate responsibility initiatives.

Before joining Exhibit Concepts, Berbach was an Exhibit Concepts client for many years, assisting in managing a 100+ annual corporate trade show event program. Since joining Exhibit Concepts in 2016, Berbach has served as Marketing Manager and was promoted to Senior Marketing Manager in 2021, overseeing the growth of the marketing department to include content marketing, brand guidelines, sales enablement, and association relationships. She has also passed her Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM) examination and is nearing completion of her CTSM certification.

“Karimey is that unique individual who is very good at what she does and who also makes the work environment such a great place to be. She is a strategic thinker who can also get things done. Her efforts have increased our brand recognition in face-to-face events marketing, and she will be instrumental in growing our brand in key market segments,” says Ellen Kaminski, President, and COO of Exhibit Concepts.

In her role, Berbach has helped elevate Exhibit Concepts’ presence at industry conferences, leading the team that won ExhibitorLIVE’s Best of Show in 2018. She has also led the effort to participate in association events in the education, museum, and executive briefing center sectors.

“Being a part of and leading a marketing team in a company that specializes in face-to-face marketing is a dream. I am in a position where I get to travel and promote the best work Exhibit Concepts produces— to hear the testimony of our clients and partners. It is difficult to comprehend the impact our work makes in the education, museum, and trade show spaces—and my job is to strategically market that to the world and help grow this extraordinary company. It is incredible. If I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times: I have the best job in the building,” says Berbach.

IMPORTANT DATES

The deadline for the Summer edition of Inside SEMC is July 30, 2022. To submit information for the newsletter, please contact Zinnia Willits (zwillits@semcdirect.net) or Carla Phillips (cphillips@semcdirect.net).

SEMC

Inside SEMC Summer 2022 submissions deadline July 30, 2022 2022 Annual Meeting, Northwest Arkansas October 24–26, 2022 (reg. opens late spring 2022)

National

American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting (AAM) May 19–22, 2022, Boston, MA Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG) June 14–17, 2022, Utah State University Association of African American Museums (AAAM) August 10–12, 2022, Miami, FL American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) September 14–17, 2022; in-person, Buffalo, NY November 1–4, 2022; online conference

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