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Historic Columbia
About
Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Meet our staff! Please click on photos to read bios.

Administration

Robin Waites

Executive Director

Robin Waites is the Executive Director for Historic Columbia and has served in that capacity since 2004. A life-long resident of Columbia, Robin is well equipped to work with the various constituents and issues that are key factors in the preservation of historic assets and education on local history in South Carolina’s capital city.

A product of Columbia’s Richland School District One, Robin attended Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont where she received a bachelor of arts with a double major in Art History and Russian. She received a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of SC in 1996 and subsequently began work at the South Carolina State Museum. She served in a variety of capacities including the chief curator of art, which was her position when she left the State Museum to work with Historic Columbia.

As Executive Director for Historic Columbia, Robin has overseen the transformation of the historic buildings and grounds; established an expansive community engagement program in Columbia and Richland County; and worked with local partners and grass roots advocates on a number of major historic preservation efforts including the rehabilitation of the Palmetto Compress Warehouse and the revitalization of the 1600 block of Main Street.

In 2019 Robin received the Steve Morrison Visionary Award from One Columbia and in 2020 the Governor’s Award from SC Humanities.

Nathan Brown

Office Manager & Executive Assistant

(803) 252-7742 ext. 10

Nathan is a Columbia native with 10 years of experience working at various non-profit organizations in the city of Columbia. He joined the Historic Columbia team in August 2021 as the Office Manager and Executive Assistant and helps the Executive Director and all HC departments with day-to-day functions. He holds a degree in Music from Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC and enjoys volunteering in the Euphonium section of the Columbia Community Concert Band, collecting musical recordings, and spending time with his partner (and her cat and dog!) in his free time.

Preservation

John Sherrer

Director of Preservation

(803) 252-7742 ext. 28

A Columbia native, author, and historian, John Sherrer has worked at Historic Columbia since 1996. As Director of Preservation, John heads the organization’s historic preservation advocacy efforts involving research and programming, management of a 16-property easement portfolio, and historic tax credit fee-for-service projects. John holds degrees from Clemson (BA, MA: English) and the University of South Carolina (MA: Public History) and management certificates from McKissick Museum and the Southeastern Museum Conference’s Jekyll Island Management Institute. John has served on the boards of the Columbia Development Corporation, the Columbia Design League, and the South Carolina Federation of Museums. A Leadership Columbia Class of 2014 alumna, John recently was nominated as a 2023 Ambassador for ExperienceColumbiaSC.

Development

Rebecca Jacobson

Director of Development

(803) 252-7742 ext. 12

Rebecca Jacobson joined Historic Columbia's staff as Director of Development in July 2023 and brings a wide variety of nonprofit experience to the organization. Among her most impactful development roles, she served as Executive Director of the Family Shelter and Membership & Development Coordinator for the Congaree Land Trust, both in Columbia. Rebecca moved to Columbia in 1999 to attend graduate school and has made this her home ever since. Growing up in Savannah, GA, she has great appreciation for historic cities and is excited to engage with HC's members and donors and grow support for our inspiring mission.

Margaret Bauknight

Development Coordinator

(803) 252-7742 ext. 15

Margaret Bauknight is elated to serve as the Development Coordinator at Historic Columbia. Warm and people-oriented, Margaret has over 10 years of customer-facing experience in the Soda City. Together with spouse Eddie, they enjoy traveling and experiencing live music of all kinds.

Loves: cats, candy, and games

Fears: spiral staircases, hand injuries, and, to a lesser degree, horses

Marketing and Communications

Emily Brown

Director of Marketing and Communications

(803) 252-7742 ext. 17

Emily Brown is an integrated marketing and communications professional with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. She serves as HC’s Director of Marketing & Communications, where she oversees the organization’s integrated marketing strategy and brand management. Emily comes to HC from Carolina Roots Creative, a design firm she founded to help clients shine through custom creative solutions. Emily holds degrees from Furman University (BM, Music Education) and Florida State University (MA, Arts Administration). Outside of work, Emily enjoys making memories with her wife, kids, and two standard poodles, Gus and Frankie.

Catherine Beltran

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

(803) 252-7742 ext. 18

Catherine Beltran is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Historic Columbia. She is a nonprofit marketing and development professional who comes to HC from South Carolina Humanities. A native of Georgia, Catherine has called Columbia home since 2016. Outside of work, she enjoys restoring furniture, trying different whiskies, and helping others make Columbia home as a real estate agent.

Operations

Jeffrey Richardson

Director of Operations

(803) 252-7742 ext. 38

Jeffrey Richardson has worked at museums big and small across the country. As Director of Operations, he is responsible for overseeing the implementation of daily activities across six historic sites and 14 acres of manicured landscapes. Richardson has written books and articles on a variety of historical topics, including "Colt: The Revolver of the American West" and "Howard Hughes and the Creation of Modern Hollywood". He has also appeared as an expert commentator on numerous television programs, including "Mysteries at the Museum", "Pawn Stars", "Storage Wars", and "History Detectives".

Kevin Jennings

Director of Buildings

(803) 403-4656

Kevin Jennings is the Director of Buildings at Historic Columbia. He oversees the care and maintenance of HC’s historic buildings and helps plan larger scale projects with the Executive Director, Director of Operations, and Director of Preservation. His favorite thing to do is hang out with his wife, Gina, and 2 cats, Minx and Jinx.

Debbie Giles

Business Manager

(803) 252-7742 ext. 13

Debbie Giles relocated to Columbia in 2005 and has been with Historic Columbia ever since serving in many different capacities. Currently she is Historic Columbia’s Business Manager handling all day-to-day accounts payable, receivable and reporting, she is also the main point of contact for payroll and employee benefits. She has over three decades of business experience including ownership of an industrial equipment service business, real estate management just to mention a few.

Daisha Calhoun

Rentals Coordinator

(O) (803) 252-7742 ext. 11 (C) (803) 474-1688

Daisha Calhoun serves Historic Columbia as the Rental Coordinator, overseeing tours and rentals of our four historic properties, as well as the planning and oversight of Historic Columbia events. With a Visual Arts degree and emphasis in Art History, it has allowed me to work in numerous roles within museums and nonprofits that allowed me to find my passion for working with events. I love plants (way too much), cats, reading, painting, and a good Netflix binge!

Autumn Thoele

Rentals Office Assistant

(803) 252-7742 ext. 11

Autumn Thoele serves Historic Columbia as the Rentals Office Assistant, managing tours for our historic properties as well as providing administrative support to the Rental Coordinator. Autumn has a variety of experiences, ranging from organizing children’s birthday parties to weddings and corporate events. Currently pursuing a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Trident Technical College, she is thrilled to contribute her passion to this organization! While not at work, Autumn enjoys reading, anything crafty, and keeping up with all things Taylor Swift.

Rebecca Townsend

Horticulturist

(803) 252-7742 ext. 27

Rebecca is a Columbia native with an Art degree from the University of South Carolina. As the horticulturist, she guides the development of the gardens, grounds, and living collections within the diverse landscapes that make up Historic Columbia. Rebecca is responsible for a wide variety of horticultural duties such as propagation, seed collection, division, and pruning. Her other notable responsibilities are the management of the semiannual plant sale and overseeing the activities of Historic Columbia’s devoted garden volunteers.

Chris Mathis

Head Gardener

(803) 252-7742 ext. 27

Chris Mathis came to Historic Columbia with five years of horticulture experience. He performs the day-to-day activities involved in caring for the historic landscapes at the six properties that make up Historic Columbia. He is responsible for the upkeep of all turfgrass, canopy management, irrigation maintenance, propagation, and pruning. He helps plan, implement, and market the semiannual plant sale. He is also responsible for conducting research and providing information for the Historic Columbia Garden database. Chris enjoys being outside and working with the wide variety of plants that Historic Columbia has to offer.

Jake Armstrong

Gardener

(803) 252-7742 ext. 27

Jake is a lifelong resident of South Carolina and comes to Historic Columbia with 3+ years of experience in a variety of realms of both landscaping and hardscaping. He is responsible for daily upkeep of grounds, including pruning/weeding, mulching, new plant installs, and overall tidiness of the grounds. He is also responsible for watering and maintaining the plants for the semiannual plant sale. He is very passionate about native plants and how they can be used in traditional garden settings. In his free time, Jake enjoys hiking and birdwatching, or spending time with his fiancée and their dog, Nox and their cat, Hobbs.

Joe Glenn

Facilities Assistant

Joe Glenn is a retired City of Columbia employee where he started his career at the early age of 19. He held many positions during his 30 years such as Labor, Heavy Equipment Operator, Foreman, Supervisor and Assistant Superintendent. His passion was always having the opportunity to operate heavy equipment and in his early years competed and won the State Backhoe Rodeo Championship 4 years in a row. He serves as HC’s Facilities Assistant part time where he helps with building maintenance and event set up. Away from work he is a care taker to his father, enjoys spending time with family and friends, hunting, working on farm land and traveling. And he loves spoiling grandbaby Grayson.

Outreach & Engagement

Katharine Allen

Director of Outreach & Engagement

(803) 252-7742 ext. 37

Kat Allen serves as the Director of Outreach and Engagement at Historic Columbia, where she leads the research, programs, and visitor experience teams. She holds degrees from the University of Redlands (BA, English Literature) and the University of South Carolina (MA, Public History; MLIS). Her recent projects include the reinterpretation of the Modjeska Monteith Simkins House, essays in 101 Women Who Shaped South Carolina and Invisible No More: The African American Experience at the University of South Carolina, and the launches of Columba City of Women and “We’re Here! Preserving Columbia’s LGBTQ+ Stories.” A former archivist, Kat regularly consults on projects, ranging from National Register nominations to documentary films, that promote and expand upon the history of marginalized communities in Columbia and Richland County.

Heather Bacon-Rogers

Visitor Experience Manager

(803) 252-7742 ext. 20

Heather Bacon-Rogers started her time at Historic Columbia as a weekend tour guide and now serves as the Visitor Experience Manager. She uses her years of experience as a house museum guide to train others to educate the public about Columbia’s complex history. When she is not at Historic Columbia, Heather is enjoying time with her husband and two Great Pyrenees in downtown Columbia.

Rebecca Woodruff

Curator of History

(803) 252-7742 ext. 36

As the Curator of History at Historic Columbia, Becca Woodruff oversees historical research and interpretation for HC’s public history projects and manages both internal and external research inquiries. She received her master’s degree in art history and museum studies from Case Western Reserve University and has previous experience conducting archival, genealogical, art historical, and provenance research for private collectors and non-profit organizations in the Great Lakes region. In her free time, Becca enjoys painting, reading, and trying new recipes.

Rachel Gregor

Collections Manager

(803) 252-7742 ext. 33

Rachel Gregor is a recent graduate with archaeological, curatorial, and collections management experience. As Collections Manager, she oversees the care of Historic Columbia’s collection, both on display and in storage. Additionally, she maintains our online collections database and provides the interpretation about our many historical objects. Rachel holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and a master's in Public History, both from James Madison University. As a new resident of South Carolina, Rachel spends her time outside of work exploring all of what the state has to offer.

Carmen Sangster

Education Manager

(803) 252-7742 ext. 26

Carmen Sangster has recently moved to Columbia and serves as the Education Manager for Historic Columbia. She is a graduate from University of Idaho with experience in education. When not involved with programs, she is organizing student group tours or out exploring the surrounding area with traveling trunks.

JoCora Moore

Community Engagement Coordinator

(803) 252-7742 ext. 24

JoCora Moore serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Historic Columbia. A native of Plymouth, NC, JoCora is a proud two-time graduate of North Carolina Central University, where she earned her BA and MA in History. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at North Carolina State University in the Public History Ph.D. program. Her research examines the activism of Black women Civil Rights leaders within museum spaces. In her free time, JoCora enjoys watching sports, particularly football, and softball, reading, and watching a good crime show documentary.

Stella Cobbs

Visitor Experience Associate

(803) 252-7742 ext. 25

Stella is a retired Systems Analyst with years of experience in the tech industry. However, in 2018, she found a new passion as a volunteer for Historic Columbia and have been even more active since being named Volunteer of the Year in 2020. In 2021, she decided to take my love to the next level and joined the organization as a Robert Mills Gift Shop staff member. Stella loves meeting and greeting people and is always eager to connect and learn from others. In her free time, she enjoys reading, learning new things, and exploring the vast depths of the internet.

Emily Folk

Visitor Engagement Associate

(803) 252-7742 ext. 23

Visitor Engagement Associate Emily Folk has worked with Historic Columbia since 2022. She was first introduced to HC as a student at University of South Carolina while working on the Bull Street Symposium in 2014. Emily enjoys giving house tours and engaging with guests and coworkers. When not at work Emily spends time with her husband and two black labs.

Adam Miller

Visitor Engagement Associate

(803) 252-7742 ext. 23

Adam Miller is a Columbia, SC native and soon to be a graduate of the University of South Carolina. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in history with a secondary study of geography. Through his course "Careers in Public History," he learned about Historic Columbia and its values in preserving Columbia and Richland County. As Visitor Engagement Associate, he will give tours of the five houses Historic Columbia has to offer, along with helping with on-site programs as needed. As a local, he spends a lot of time outside in South Carolina State parks kayaking and hiking.

Beth Johnson

Education Assistant

(803) 252-7742 ext. 26

Beth Johnson is an educational assistant working with school group field trips and with the Traveling Trunk program. She is a retired SC public school classroom teacher and is thrilled to continue sharing her enthusiasm for history with students. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her master's degree from the University of South Carolina. In her free time, Beth enjoys gardening, cooking, and visiting state parks with her husband, Dylan.

Rachel Ward

Collections Assistant

(803) 252-7742 ext. 33

As Collections Assistant, Rachel Ward updates and maintains accurate records of Historic Columbia’s collection of historical objects in our online database, as well as assisting with the care of those objects. She has a BA in Religious Studies and Anthropology from UNC Charlotte and is currently earning her MA in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Rachel has previously worked in archaeology and at various museums and cultural institutions. She, her husband, and their cats recently moved to Columbia from Charlotte, NC.