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Historic Columbia
About
Staff Directory

Staff Directory

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

Administration

Suzanne Brooks

Executive Director

Suzanne joined Historic Columbia as Executive Director in September 2024. A native of North Carolina, Suzanne relocated to Columbia in 2014. With a background in historic preservation, community revitalization, and non-profit leadership, Suzanne brings a deep passion for preserving history and advocating for community. Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Interior Design with a focus on historic interiors and drafting. She holds a Historic Preservation certification and General Contractors License. Her experience includes serving as Executive Director of the Spartanburg County Historical Association and Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity. Suzanne enjoys walking the gardens of HC, boxing and trying new workouts, and spending time with her husband and their son.

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.

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.

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.

Kat Crawford

Development Coordinator

(803) 252-7742 ext. 15

Kat joined Historic Columbia in 2024 as the Development Coordinator. She is a graduate of USC with 10 years’ experience in the non-profit sector including extensive experience working in multiple areas of development operations. An avid gardener, Kat has a special interest in native and medicinal plants and teaching her children about insects, animals and nature and is especially excited to spend time in HC’s spectacular gardens!

Education and Interpretation

Katharine Allen

Director of Education and Interpretation

(803) 252-7742 ext. 37

Kat Allen serves as the Director of Education and Interpretation at Historic Columbia, where she leads the curatorial and education 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.

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.

Position Available

Collections Manager

Apply today!

This position is currently available. Learn more and apply at historiccolumbia.org/careers.

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.

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.

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 joined Historic Columbia as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator in January 2023. 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 and trying different whiskies.

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.

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.

Joe Glenn

Facilities Assistant

Site Experience

Position Available

Director of Site Experience

Apply today!

This position is currently available. Learn more and apply at historiccolumbia.org/careers.

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.

Heather Bacon-Rogers

Visitor Experience Manager

(803) 252-7742 ext. 20

Walter Chavis

Groundskeeper

(803) 252-7742 ext. 27

Walter Chavis came to Historic Columbia with years of experience in both landscaping and hardscaping. He takes great pride in crafting beautiful, well-maintained landscapes, much like those Historic Columbia provides for the community. He is always working on improving his knowledge of the different species nature has to offer. In his free time, Walter is an avid fisherman, enjoys participating in BBQ competitions, and spending time with his dog, Scarlet.

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.

Carl Cox

Rentals Coordinator

(803) 252-7742 ext. 11

Carl Cox joined the Historic Columbia staff as the Rental Coordinator in 2024. He has over 15 years of experience working for non-profit organizations in the Carolinas. In his various positions, he coordinated many types of events and quickly realized bringing people together for a special, memorable experience was a passion. In his free time, Carl enjoys hiking, playing tennis (or pickleball) and watching stand-up comedians.

Scotty Faltynski

Rentals Office Assistant

(803) 252-7742 ext. 11

Li Hubbard

Visitor Engagement Associate

(803) 252-7742 ext. 23

As a Visitor Engagement Associate, Li Hubbard shares the city’s rich, diverse history with the public at Historic Columbia’s five house museums. His Bachelor’s in Gender Studies from the University of Florida and experience as a local journalist primed him to tell many of Columbia’s interesting stories. Since moving to the state from southwest Florida, Li has found joy exploring the local arts and coffee scene as well as the state’s rich natural beauty.

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.

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.

Rebecca Townsend

Horticulturalist

(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.