Board Members
These individuals have agreed to serve a two-year term (2012-2014) to assist with the development of the Public History Association of Texas. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Perky Beisel
Lisa Bentley
Cynthia Brandimarte
Cynthia Brandimarte earned a Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Harris County Heritage Society in Houston, and Texas State University in San Marcos. She wrote the award-winning book, Inside Texas: Culture, Identity, and Houses, 1878-1920, in addition to many scholarly articles. Dr. Brandimarte is now the Historic Sites and Structures Program Director for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Anders Greenspan
Keith A. Erekson
Bryan McAuley
Bryan McAuley grew up near the Texas Gulf Coast in Angleton. Though drawn to historic topics and travels throughout his youth, he considered a career path in the museum field in Texas to be unlikely (largely because of the dearth of collegiate programs in the state at that time). He attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a BA in government and anthropology. He completed MA studies at Texas State University in political science and sociology.
In 2000, Bryan became the first regional coordinator for the Texas Independence Trail Region heritage tourism initiative. The next year he realized his goal of becoming a museum program director when he went to work for the Fort Bend County Museum Association as Curator of Interpretation at the George Ranch Historical Park. In 2008, he joined the newly created Historic Sites Division of the Texas Historical Commission as the site manager of two important developing sites – San Felipe de Austin and the Levi Jordan Plantation.
Bryan frequently presents at museum and public history conferences, has been awarded for numerous successes in the field, and has published on a variety of museum and interpretation topics. He holds interpretation certification from the National Association for Interpretation and is a member of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums.
In 2000, Bryan became the first regional coordinator for the Texas Independence Trail Region heritage tourism initiative. The next year he realized his goal of becoming a museum program director when he went to work for the Fort Bend County Museum Association as Curator of Interpretation at the George Ranch Historical Park. In 2008, he joined the newly created Historic Sites Division of the Texas Historical Commission as the site manager of two important developing sites – San Felipe de Austin and the Levi Jordan Plantation.
Bryan frequently presents at museum and public history conferences, has been awarded for numerous successes in the field, and has published on a variety of museum and interpretation topics. He holds interpretation certification from the National Association for Interpretation and is a member of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums.
Gene Preuss
Paul J.P. Sandul
Dan K. Utley
Dan K. Utley holds history degrees from the University of Texas and Sam Houston State University. The former chief historian for the Texas Historical Commission, he now teaches at Texas State University and serves as chief historian for the Center for Texas Public History. The author of several books and numerous articles on Texas history, he is a past president of the East Texas Historical Association and the Texas Oral History Association. He is a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association and recipient of the Thomas L. Charlton Award for Lifetime Achievement in Oral History.