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.
