COASTAL GEO RGIA COASTAL GEO RGIA HI STOR ICAL SOCIE TY HI STOR ICAL SOCIE TY P.O. BOX 21136 ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA 31522 saintsimonslighthouse.org ANNUAL MEETING AND 2016 REPORT TO MEMBERS the cloiste r |sea island, georgia |janua ry 22, 2017 ANNUAL MEETING Welcome and Call to Order Hillary Stringfellow PROGRAM Executive Director’s Message Sherri Jones Introduction of Board Members Hillary Stringfellow and Executive Committee The mission of the Coastal George C. Cunningham Award Hillary Stringfellow COASTAL GEO RGIA Georgia Historical Society is to Rodriguez Service Award Lewis Glenn HI STOR ICAL present and interpret the history SOCIE TY and culture of Coastal Georgia, Speaker Introduction Mimi Rogers while preserving our heritage of Lecture hist ory. celeb rated dai ly. significant sites and resources. Telling America’s Wartime Stories Patrick Gallagher Adjourn Lewis Glenn Keepers of the Light Appreciation Reception will follow the Annual Meeting at Ocean Forest. The Annual Meeting is sponsored through the generosity of the DeLong-Sweet Family Foundation. 1 FEATURED SPEAKER: SOCIETY LEADERSHIP PATRICK GALLAGHER History lovers appreciate the lasting impact of a compelling museum 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS STAFF Executive Director experience. Exhibits can bring the viewer face to face with the objects, Executive Committee Executive Committee Sherri Jones sights, sounds, and voices of another time. Hillary Stringfellow, President Lewis Glenn, President Curator Anne Stembler, Immediate Past President Hillary Stringfellow, Immediate Past Mimi Rogers Lewis Glenn, Vice President President As founder and president of Gallagher & Associates, Patrick Gallagher Education Director Cindy Rackley, Secretary Kevin Lokey, Vice President Sandy Jensen has led the creation of some of the world’s most memorable museum Kevin Lokey, Treasurer Cindy Rackley, Secretary experiences, especially in the field of military history. His firm’s exhibits Ralph Jernigan, Endowments Mike Martin, Treasurer Development Director Kathleen Bennett have personalized and highlighted individuals, battles, and events to Ralph Jernigan, Endowments Kay Cantrell Public Relations Director create a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by those who Myrna Crook Kay Cantrell Leigh Ann Stroud have fought for freedom. Gallagher’s portfolio includes the National Nancy DeLong Myrna Crook Events Coordinator/Store Manager Ellen Fleming Jim DeLong World War II Museum (New Orleans), the Gettysburg National Military Curt Smith Duane Harris Ellen Fleming Park, the Visitor’s Center at the Normandy American Cemetery in Susan Hartman Duane Harris Office Manager Marsha Johnson France, and exhibits for the Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy and Army. Tom Heagy Sally Hawie Bill Jones III Tom Heagy Facilities Manager Outside the military, recent installations have included the Brenda Jones Bill Jones III Ray O’Brien International Spy Museum (D.C.), the College Football Hall of Fame in Jeanne Manning Brenda Jones Atlanta, the Jamestown Settlement Museum, and the LBJ Presidential Mike Martin Casey Lavin Senior Historian Janis Rodriguez Jeanne Manning Buddy Sullivan Library and Museum (Austin). Reg Murphy Consulting Archaeologist Board Members Janis Rodriguez Completing Service in 2016 Nick Honerkamp, Ph.D. In today’s presentation, Mr. Gallagher will share some of the heroic Brenda Thompson Nancy DeLong, 2011-2016 Store staff stories discovered during the research for his firm’s military projects. Susan Hartman, 2011-2016 Honorary Trustees Assistant Store Manager, Kathy He will also explain the interactive design techniques used to bring Anne Stembler, 2010-2016 Mary Burdell O’Brien; Wanda Bernhardt, Carol Don Carter these stories to life. Cudahy, Linda Culver, Jessie Albert Fendig Harrison, Colleen Kazimir, Mike Albert F. Shelander Peck, Sue Rinehart, Gail Rivard, Theresa Spangler 2 3 PRESIDENT’S REPORT: HILLARY STRINGFELLOW What a great time to be a part of Coastal Georgia Historical memberships increased dramatically. Susan has provided Society as we celebrate the accomplishments of the past year guidance to the Board as Governance Chair, and together and the happenings of the year to come. On top of a regular with her husband Jack, led the successful Keeper’s Dwelling calendar of events, 2016 marked a full year for the Society. Campaign. Nancy has served faithfully as co-chair of the This annual report includes a comprehensive listing, and I Collections and Education Committee and a member of the encourage you to take a minute to review this past year’s Development Committee. She has generously given her time, impressive list of activities. talents, and resources without hesitation. We thank each of The Chautauqua Lecture Series included five programs this them for the countless hours, devoted leadership, and great year with record attendance. One of the best measures of the assistance to the mission, staff, and members of the Society. popularity of our programs is growth in membership over the Looking forward to a new year, the Board of Directors is past five years. Membership revenues have grown from energized by the continued efforts of the staff who are $80,000 to over $280,000 during this period. The largest leading the Society towards big goals and projects of increase has been in the Keeper of the Light category, which significant magnitude. In addition to a full calendar of events has grown from 58 to over 175 members! I am grateful to the and programs, the staff has been working hard on the new Development Committee, chaired by Brenda Jones, for the World War II Home Front Museum at the Historic Coast Guard fabulous job that they have done engaging new people and Station and are on track for a Spring 2018 opening. I would encouraging our existing members to increase their also like to warmly welcome our new Board members Jim investment in our organization. And, my heartfelt thank you to DeLong, Sally Hawie, Casey Lavin, Reg Murphy, and Brenda our membership, the lifeblood of our organization, for your Thompson. ongoing commitment and enthusiasm. Thank you for your membership, your support of Society As 2016 draws to a close, the Board of Directors gives a facilities and programs, and your dedication to our mission. special thank you to Anne Stembler, Nancy DeLong, and It is exciting to think about all there is to come in 2017. Susan Hartman who are completing their terms of service on Happy New Year! the Board. Anne served as President during the restoration of the Keeper’s Dwelling and was a generous supporter of the Hillary Stringfellow project, she was a member of the Collections and Education President Committee, and under her leadership, the Keeper of the Light 4 5 EXECUTIVE DI RECTO R’ S REPORT: SHE RRI JONES After celebrating the past 50 years of service to the community Klibanoff, spoke to 225 students in U.S. History and African reinforce the Society’s well established “brand” and reflect the producing a financially viable museum. Presenting a world in 2015, 2016 was a time of embracing the future. Much of the American Studies classes at Glynn Academy and Brunswick standard of excellence that we adhere to as an American class museum experience to the community is a bold step for work this year took place behind the scenes in readying High. Mr. Klibanoff, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Alliance of Museums accredited museum. A review of our the Society and we are grateful for Gallagher’s partnership to important resources, such as a new website. Other projects, presented programs about his work with the Georgia Civil domain name was completed as part of the project and a new ensure that the project will enhance Coastal Georgia’s standing like the first Journeys series, were in response to member Rights Cold Case Project. Marie Feazel, the Advanced domain, www.coastalgeorgiahistory.org was adopted. Behind as a Heritage Tourism destination. comments and ideas from interested stakeholders. Throughout Placement History teacher at Glynn Academy, said the the scenes, we needed a sophisticated tool for the future that 2017 will be another crucial year for our organization as we the year, we have asked ourselves how we can continue to following “I appreciate the efforts of the Coastal Georgia would help drive traffic to our site by connecting to Google tackle an ambitious schedule towards a grand opening of the serve our growing membership and engage new audiences. Historical Society in bringing a dynamic speaker to enrich the Analytics, encourage interaction with our social media new museum next spring. This year’s challenges will include How can we be more involved in our community, especially lives of students. The determination of Mr. Hank Klibanoff to platform, allow for ease in managing and updating for staff, raising $3 million to fund the project, working with Gallagher with children and families? And, critically, how can we ensure focus his considerable talents and expertise on Civil Rights and eliminate reliance on third party event booking. on exhibit research and design, and completing construction that the new World War II Home Front Museum is a financially cold cases has inspired my students. Thank you for providing The new website, launching early this year, is chock full of to prepare the historic buildings. Like last year, one of the viable and self-sustaining asset to the Society like the new and engaging historical resources!” stunning photography that introduces first-time visitors to the great joys of the year will be connecting with people in our lighthouse site? Another first this year was engaging a world-famous beauty and history of our sites and reminds friends of our community through the Home Front story. Our organization In response to requests from our membership, the Society company, Museum Hack, to modernize our approach to school treasured assets. The new site is easy to navigate and provides has fallen in love with the story and is wholly committed to introduced a new education series called Journeys.