CRHM-Staff

Chattanooga Regional History Museum Staff

Gail T. Pollock, Executive Director:

Salem Women's College; Massey College; Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Duke University Ms. Pollock has over 14 years experience in nonprofit management. She joined the museum's staff in March 2005. She will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the museum including staffing, finances, communications and public information, programming and maintenance of the physical plant.

Daryl Black, Ph.D., Curator

Ph.D. History, University of California, Irvine (2001); M. A. (Honors Graduate) California State University, Long Beach (1996); B. A. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1994)

Dr. Black possesses an impressive background that combines both academic and public history. During the 2003-2005 academic years, he was Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Auburn University, where he taught Southern History, History of the Early Republic, Civil War Era, and American Religious History. Prior to that, he was a Lecturer in the University of California, Irvine’s Humanities Core Course Program. While a student at California State University, Long Beach, he served as an editorial assistant on the American Historical Association-sponsored teaching journal, The History Teacher, and taught in the university’s Supplemental Instruction program. His public history experience includes an internship at the Chattanooga Regional History Museum, various lectures for civic and historical groups, interpreting Civil War social and cultural history at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, and research assistance for the Atlanta History Center’s Gone For a Soldier and highly acclaimed Turning Point: The American Civil War exhibits.

His continuing research examines the nature of Southern religious culture and its role in shaping the region’s social and cultural life. Dr. Black has presented portions of this research via papers at the prestigious University of Mississippi Graduate Student Conference on Southern History, as well as at the Annual Meeting of the Organization of American Historians. Additionally, Dr. Black published a well-received essay titled “’The Excitement of High and Holy Affections” in the Georgia Historical Quarterly in 2003. He is currently completing a book-length study of Baptist revival culture to be published by Mercer University Press. He is also conducting research on Southern family history for an essay to be published by the University of Georgia Press in an upcoming anthology.

Marlene Payne, Marketing Director:

I have worked in the government sector as a senior center supervisor, a general recreation program coordinator (camps, classes and special events), and as an arts administrator. She has operated two community theatres, one of which produced a children’s theatre program that was a winner of the National Recreation and Parks Association’s National Dorothy Mullen Award for Innovative Arts Programming. In June, 2006, she retired from employment with the City of Rocky Mount, NC, where she had served, consecutively, as Arts Center Director and Recreation Superintendent, in order to return to her native Tennessee and to be near her family. As Recreation Superintendent, she was responsible for overseeing the daily operations of Rocky Mount’s eight Parks and Recreation programming divisions, the Arts Center, Children’s Museum and Science Center, Senior Center, Athletics, Community Centers, Sports Complex, Special Events, and Outdoor (adventure) Programs. She was a member of the City team that planned, designed and built The Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences. She joined the staff of the Chattanooga Regional History Museum in January, 2007.

Juanita Tipton, Office Manager:

Membership Coordinator: Attended Edmondson Business School and Chattanooga State. Employed by Museum for over 12 years, maintains membership files, supervises front office personnel, works with accounting office on accounts payable, etc.