Past Matters Summer 2022; posted on 08/01/2022
A Note from the Executive Director
By Anjali Kaul Zutshi
A very happy summer to you all! It has been a while since we have communicated with you through our newsletter Past Matters, so please bear with this rather long report! There has been a lot happening at the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission over the last few months. In April, the Friends celebrated the 25th anniversary of the founding of the organization at a gala at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. We were honored to present the inaugural Julian Read Award for Philanthropy in Preservation to Texas Historical Commission Chairman John L. Nau, III, for his for his vision, his leadership, and his generosity in furthering the cause of preservation, not just in Texas but nationally.
As part of our anniversary activities, the Friends has been busy working on overhauling our web presence and we are excited to share that our new and improved website is up and running at the same address, www.thcfriends.org. Please visit the site and engage with the content! And please do let us know what you think – your feedback is important to us!
Continuing with the theme of change, I am happy to introduce to you Kristy Peloquin, our new Development Manager. Kristy comes to the Friends of the THC with a background in teaching and non-profit management and brings a wealth of experience to her role at the Friends. In the meantime, Katie Cukerbaum transitions into a new role as a consultant for the Friends and continues to support us in our programs and communications efforts.
Summer is also the time when we bring in our cohort of Preservation Scholars for the summer internship program. This year, we are excited to have seven scholars working with THC staff on specific projects of interest to them. In this Summer 2022 blog post, you can read more about their academic backgrounds and the projects they are involved in, and we look forward to bringing you content from these incredible students.
Many of you have stayed connected with us through our regular virtual programming. These events have allowed us to develop the deep connections to community that history and storytelling can provide. While these events are free, some of you have chosen to support us with a gift when registering, for which we are truly grateful. Your donations impact these connections in hugely positive ways, helping us preserve these stories, histories, and rich legacy for future generations. We hope you will continue to support us, and join us as we bring new content to you. You can find information on upcoming events at https://thcfriend.wpengine.com/virtual-events/.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the staff of the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission—warm regards and stay cool!
Anjali Zutshi, Executive Director