Jane Brasier, Chair, Vice President of Business Development, Clark Nexsen

Jane Roycroft Brasier is a native of Durham and still lives in the neighborhood in which she grew up.  Both of her parents were from large families in Durham and go back several generations in Durham.  She attended Durham public schools and graduated from Jordan High School, then attended Duke as an undergrad and graduated with a degree in sociology. From there she went to UNC-Chapel Hill where she earned a master’s degree in public administration.  Her career has focused mostly on the architecture/engineering/construction industry in the Triangle area and she serves as Vice President of Business Development at Clark Nexsen, a nationally ranked architecture/engineering company with 10 offices in the southeast, (she is based in the Raleigh office). Jane has served on many non-profit boards including the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties, Urban Land Institute – Triangle Chapter, Commercial Real Estate Women – Triangle Chapter and the Society for Marketing Professional Services – Triangle Chapter.  She is active with the NC Economic Developers Association and her downtown Durham church – Trinity United Methodist, and she is currently serving on the board of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce.  Jane is married to Chris Brasier, FAIA who is also employed with Clark Nexsen, leading the education market sector, and he teaches part time in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke. Jane has two adult children who also have degrees from Duke.

 

Emily Faber Herndon, Secretary, VP of Marketing & Business Development, C.T. Wilson Construction Co., Inc.

Emily joined CT Wilson Construction in 2013 after meeting Charlie Wilson in her Professional Practice class at NC State University, where she earned her degree in architecture. She began her construction career as a general laborer, gaining firsthand insight into the pace, sequencing, and complexity of commercial construction projects of varying scales and delivery methods.

She later received training in quality control and project management before transitioning in 2019 into CT Wilson’s first full-time marketing role. In 2025, she was promoted to Vice President of Marketing & Business Development.

In her role, Emily leads the company’s entire marketing program, including brand promotion and preservation, market research, development and implementation of the marketing plan and budget, oversight of technical staff and deliverables, coordination of marketing consultants, and analysis of the effectiveness of marketing initiatives. She supports lead generation and business development efforts, maintains an active presence in the community, and fosters external partnerships.

Emily also oversees company event planning and internal communications, and she collaborates with the leadership team to strengthen internal processes, elevate company culture, and support the strategic growth of both employees and the organization.

 

Bob Ashley, Editor, Durham Herald-Sun (retired)

Bob Ashley retired in June 2017 as editor of The Herald-Sun, where he oversaw news and editorial operations at the daily newspaper in Durham. He had returned to that post, from which he retired in January 2011, in June of 2012. In the interim, he was executive director of Preservation Durham, the non-profit historic preservation organization. He first joined The Herald-Sun as editor in January 2005.

Before coming to the Herald-Sun, he was editor for nearly 11 years of the Messenger-Inquirer in Owensboro, Ky. He previously was editor of the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pa.

His journalism career started when he worked part-time for the weekly Mount Airy (N.C.) Times, in his hometown. After college, he began work as a reporter for The Raleigh Times, advanced to city editor, and then moved to The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer. There, his jobs included assistant metropolitan editor, deputy features editor, deputy metro editor, features editor and assistant managing editor. He left the Observer for the Centre Daily Times; both were Knight Ridder newspapers.

He is a 1970 graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in history, and was managing editor of the Duke Chronicle. He has served on a number of industry and community boards, including the N. C. Press Association, Preservation Durham, Durham’s Partnership for Children, the Volunteer Center of Durham, Pennsylvania Society of Newspaper Editors, the State College Symphony Orchestra, Healthy Horizons (in Owensboro), the Professional Advisory Committee for the Western Kentucky University Department of Journalism, and the Greater Owensboro Alliance for Education and Workforce Development. He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

 

Dr. Jeffrey P. Baker, Director of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, & History of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine

Jeffrey P. Baker M.D. Ph.D. is director of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine in Duke University School of Medicine. A professor of Pediatrics and the Practice of History, he served for over 30 years as a general pediatrician in Duke Children’s Primary Care with a focus on children with autism and special needs. Dr. Baker also completed a Ph.D. in the history of medicine at Duke in 1992 and has written numerous historical articles related to pediatrics, vaccination controversies, and autism.

Most recently, Dr. Baker’s research interests have centered upon the history of racism in medical centers and their communities. He co-led an interdisciplinary Bass Connections project in 2018-19, Documenting Durham’s Health History: Understanding the Roots of Health Disparities. He has spoken to many audiences on the importance of understanding Duke Health within the historical context of Durham and North Carolina, and introduces health professional students and trainees to their community via walks with local partners.

As director of the Trent Center’s History of Medicine program since 2006, Dr Baker has taught history to undergraduates, residents, and medical students. He has held many other leadership positions at Duke, including directing the Duke autism clinic, the Duke Health Center at Southpoint, and the AB Duke Scholarship Program. In 2019, Dr Baker was awarded the Excellence in Professionalism Award by Duke School of Medicine. In 2025, he received the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award for his work introducing Duke medical staff and trainees to the history of their community.

 

Sharon Coor Barry, Community Volunteer

Sharon Barry joins the board as a dedicated community advocate with a lifelong passion for history and public engagement.  Sharon retains strong childhood memories of visiting the cultural institutions in her hometown of New York City with her family.  She is an avid genealogist and is documenting her family’s long history in Wayne County, North Carolina dating back to the early 1800s.  Sharon supports the research of the Friends of Geer Cemetery through documenting and preserving the history of Durham’s early African American communities.

Her connection to the Museum of Durham History began in 2013 when she serendipitously met the museum’s founding Executive Director at a concert before the brick-and-mortar space had officially opened.   It was kismet. When Sharon moved to Durham in 2015 after retiring from her career as a Business Systems Analyst with the Department of Transportation in Washington, DC  she immediately channeled her energy into the museum as a front-desk volunteer, welcoming visitors from across the nation and the world.  Beyond hospitality, she has made vital contributions to key community exhibits and pop-ups.  Sharon always prioritizes visiting local museums while traveling to understand a city’s cultural context.  Bringing a global appreciation for heritage institutions alongside deep North Carolina roots, she firmly believes the museum is vital to strengthening Durham’s social fabric and offering others the same profound sense of connection she has found in her adopted home of Durham, North Carolina.

 

Michelle Benham, Senior Director for Communications, Duke Community Affairs

Michelle Benham an accomplished leader, award-winning multimedia producer, and communications expert with over two decades of storytelling experience in the public and private sectors, including government, higher ed, and nonprofits. She is adept at amplifying diverse voices and co-creating partnership opportunities to advance community collaboration.

Prior to joining DCA, Michelle led the marketing and communications team at Durham-based national nonprofit Forward Cities. She also served as marketing director at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, an internationally renowned program of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. Previously, she created award-winning content and campaigns at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Discovery Learning Alliance, and Discovery Communications.

Michelle is a Goodmon Fellow through Leadership Triangle and participated in the 2023 Regional cohort. She is an alumna of the esteemed Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders program and was a founding board member of the Conservation Leadership in the Caribbean fellowship, a capacity-building, networking, and leadership development program for emerging climate science and wildlife conservation leaders in the wider Caribbean region.

 

Rick Brown, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Investors Trust

Rick is a SVP and Managing Director at Investors Trust Company based in Chapel Hill and provides investment, trust and a full range of wealth planning advisory services to high net worth clients and families. Rick has more than 35 years of experience in banking and finance, most recently as private client manager in the Private Bank at Bank of America in Raleigh, North Carolina, and previously as a commercial banker and municipal banker with Bank of America.

Originally from the Midwest, Rick earned a B.A. in economics and business administration from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Rick is a member of the Durham & Orange County Estate Planning Council and has a longstanding history of serving local non-profits in the Triangle. Most notably, he is the founding board president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Durham and Orange County (which became BBBS of the Triangle), a founding board member of the Emily Krzyzewski Family Life Center, and he spent over 20 years serving in leadership roles for Habitat for Humanity of Durham, along with a host of other organizations.

Rick lives in Cary with his wife, Lisa, and enjoys staying active through exercise and sports, including walking, tennis, and golf.

 

Michelle Burton, Durham County Commissioner *County appointed liaison to MoDH board*

 

Renee Clark, Director of Annual Giving, Southern Environmental Law Center

Renee Clark, native of Durham, NC has spent her entire professional career in client service industries. She began as a public accountant for one of the big four accounting firms before she transitioned to pursue her passion in higher education.

She currently serves as the inaugural director of annual giving at the Southern Environmental Law Center. Prior she was senior director of annual giving and membership strategy at the National Geographic Society and the assistant dean for development and alumni relations at George Mason University’s Law School. Keeping with her passion for higher education, she also served as the director of annual giving for two school foundations at the University of Virginia.

She currently serves on the board for the No Woman, No Girl Initiative, whose mission is to ensure “no woman or girl will go without access to everyday essentials to survive a crisis or transition”. Renee joined the board of trustees of A.T. Still University in the summer of 2024, which has kept her connected to higher education.

She is former chair of the NCCU University College Advisory Board and member of the NCCU Director of Athletics Advisory Council. Additionally, she was a founding co-chair of the NCCU 40 Under 40 Program. Her gifts have allowed her to co-direct the Instruments of Praise Dance Ministry for almost two decades.

As a native of Durham, Renee was educated in the Durham Public Schools system (attending Y.E. Smith Elementary, Neal Middle, and Hillside High). Renee earned her Master of Accountancy at the University of Virginia and a Bachelors of Accounting from North Carolina Central University. She continues to live by the words of Brother Cornel West, “You cannot lead them unless you love them and you cannot save them unless you serve them.”

 

Chelsea Cook, City Council Member *City appointed liaison to MoDH board*

 

Geoff Durham, President and CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce

Geoff has served as the President and CEO of the Durham Chamber of Commerce since 2016, where he has championed economic growth and community partnerships across the region. His commitment to promoting Durham’s unique assets and his vision for a thriving, inclusive community have made him a well-respected leader in the region. By joining the Museum of Durham History’s board, Geoff brings the business community’s perspective to the Museum’s strategic initiatives and will help to broaden corporate support for the Museum’s public programs and exhibitions.

“Durham’s history is an essential part of what makes this place special. I am honored to join the Museum of Durham History’s board and look forward to helping expand its reach in the business community. I believe that a strong cultural foundation is key to the vitality of our society and workforce, and I am excited to help connect our businesses with the Museum’s mission.”

 

Cynthia Gardiner, Community Volunteer

Cindy headed communications with Durham Public Schools for more than 20 years, then spent 11 years in corporate communications with GTE in Durham, followed by national positions in speech-writing and executive communications with the newly created Verizon. Returning to North Carolina, she managed employee communications for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC for six years. In retirement, she taught at NCCU and was an independent communications consultant, grants writer, editor and founding co-director of the Museum of Durham History.

She helped organize the Durham County Schools Scholarship Foundation and has been an active volunteer with the Durham Literacy Center, the Durham Day Care Council and the Museum of Life and Science.

Cindy earned a BA in history from Vanderbilt University and a master’s in English and education from Duke University and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America. She was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Jim Hunt and the Huntley Lifetime Achievement Award by the Raleigh PR Society. She is past president of the North Carolina Chapter of PRSA and of the NC School Public Relations Association.

Painting, gardening, cooking and travel keep her busy these days along with fun times with her two children and their families, all enthusiastic Durhamites.

 

Jerry Guerrier, AIA, NOMA, NCARB, LEED APCPA– Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management, North Carolina Central University

Jerry U. Guerrier has over 35 years of management, architectural design, project development, and construction administration experience prior to joining North Carolina Central University in December 2024. His professional career encompasses serving as a leader for firms located in New York and North Carolina, ultimately culminating as president and shareholder in a North Carolina-based architectural firm. From 2003 through 2019, Jerry had coordination and management oversight as Director (WTCC) and Assistant Director (UNC) leader facilitating and influencing the outcomes of State and County Capital Improvement Programs on behalf of the University and Community College Systems in North Carolina. This engagement resulted in approximately $2.3 billion of formal and informal project development for all design and construction delivery systems.

 

Dr. Jim C. Harper, II, Professor of History and Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies, North Carolina Central University

Driven by his desire to teach and inspire, Mount Olive, North Carolina native, Jim C. Harper, II, has spent over two decades sharing the knowledge needed to grow and succeed through lessons of the past. After his service in the United States Marine Corps, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree from North Carolina Central University and Ph.D. from Howard University. He has been employed at North Carolina Central University for over 20 years and is the recipient of multiple teaching awards including the University of North Carolina System’s Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award. He was selected as the Colonel Charles Young Trailblazer Award recipient which recognizes distinguished individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to the community, leadership, and youth. Currently he serves as a Professor of History and Associate Dean for the School of Graduate Studies at North Carolina Central University.

Dr. Harper’s research interests include African American and African education and independence movements in the 20th century. A co-authored manuscript entitled With Faith In God and Heart and Mind: A History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was recently published with the University of North Carolina Press (January 2025). He has published one book, Western Educated Elites in Kenya, 1900-1963: The African American Factor and served as lead editor of Topics in the African Diaspora. He has published several peer-reviewed journal articles, and book chapters. He has also completed several Public History community engaged research projects including a Durham Beginnings, Digital Mapping Project, and a Durham Memories Oral History Project as well as two documentaries: Centennial History of the Beta Phi Chapter and 90 Year History of the Mighty Sixth District, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

 

Suzanne Jacobs, Patient Support Systems & Digital Strategy Associate Director, United Therapeutics

Suzanne is not just a promoter of history. She is a creative problem solver who believes the recipe for success are tenacity and a belief we can move the needle to improve things. Partner with the right talent, and the mix is an unstoppable force. She thrives on learning and leaving things better than she found them, all while building relationships with the amazing people she’s encountered along the way. While not born in Durham, she got here as soon as she could and has been enjoying all Durham has to offer for more than 25 years. Durham quickly became home, and she is all in to preserve and promote the history of our great city. Connecting with the community is part of Suzanne’s DNA. She can’t wait to expand her circle as a member of the MoDH Board.

 

Dan Jewell, Principal/Regional Director of RDU Office, Thomas & Hutton

Coulter Jewell Thames, PA is a multidisciplinary firm offering Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering and Surveying services.  In 2022 CJT became the Durham/Raleigh office of Thomas & Hutton, offering the same and expanded services with a footprint all over the southeast.  Dan has served as Regional Director since that merger.

A native of Gary, Indiana, Dan received a degree in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University in 1981, worked the first part of his professional career in Houston, and he and the family relocated to Chapel Hill in 1985 for a better quality of life. 40 years later, he is still convinced that was the right move.

The firm’s work has been a broad mix of public and private sector projects.  This work has entailed parks, schools, residential communities, greenway trails, libraries, fire stations, office buildings and various site facilities.

Dan has served twice on the Board of the HBA of Durham Orange and Chatham Counties, as State Chapter President for the North Carolina Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Downtown Durham Inc, and currently sits on the Boards of Durham Central Park and Durham Area Designers, as well as various Durham and Chapel Hill related Chamber related committees and advisory commissions. He most recently served as a subcommittee chair of the Durham Housing Initiative Task Force.

 

Larry Tilley, President, ACME Plumbing (retired)

Larry Tilley is a Durham native and the retiring owner of Acme Plumbing Company, a family business that has served Durham and the Triangle region for more than 80 years. Larry and his wife, Lee Ann, have long been dedicated to strengthening the Durham community through their support of numerous civic and nonprofit initiatives, including Durham Central Park and the Museum of Durham History. A steadfast supporter of the Museum since its founding, Larry brings a commitment to preserving and celebrating Durham’s unique history and culture.

 

Sterly Wilder, Senior Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement and Development, Duke University (retired)

Sterly retired in June 2023 as the Senior Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement and Development at Duke. Prior to that, she served as the Associate Vice President and Director of Alumni Affairs from 2005-2020. In addition, she was the secretary-treasurer of the Duke Alumni Board from 2005-2023. After graduation Sterly worked in Alumni and Development Records and with the Duke Annual Fund. She was promoted to Director of the Annual Fund in 1991. Sterly’s father, Pelham Wilder, retired in 2000 as a professor of chemistry and pharmacology after more than 50 years on the faculty.

Sterly is a member of the Board of the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Foundation, the Durham Devils Club, serves on the Major Gifts Committee of Caring House, and on the Steering Committee for the Duke Triangle Women’s Forum. She served as President of the Ronald McDonald House Board of Directors, the Durham Academy Alumni Board, and as a Board member of the Volunteer Center of Durham, The Duke Gardens Advisory Board, the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties and the Durham Academy Board of Trustees. Sterly has worked as a leader on every one of her Duke reunions and was a pre-major advisor for Duke students for over 30 years.