Committees
Our numerous, hardworking committees are powered by active AASLH members who help keep the organization and the field on track with core constituencies, critical issues, and vital functions. AASLH’s Chair of Council, in consultation with the committee chairs, makes all committee appointments in July-August. Committee terms commence October 1, and most committee terms are for two years. If you are interested in serving on a committee, please contact the chair of that committee. View the latest version of the committee handbook here.
This committee serves a dual purpose. The first purpose is to work with AASLH to further the field of state and local history through supporting the educational efforts of the Annual Meeting. The second purpose is to work closely with AASLH staff to ensure the success of the Annual Meeting.
This committee develops the content for sessions and workshops that relate to the theme developed by AASLH staff, Program, and Host chairs. Travel to one Program Committee meeting is required.
The Audit Committee works via conference call to review AASLH’s annual independent audit and make recommendations to the AASLH Council. A majority of committee members must have financial expertise.
Members:
Cathy Fields (Chair), Litchfield Historical Society
Mindi Love, Johnson County Museum
David Simmons, Billings Farm and Museum
John Dichtl (Ex Officio), AASLH
Norman Burns (Ex Officio), Conner Prairie
The Diversity and Inclusion Committee advises the Council on ways to build diversity and inclusion (racial/ethnic, cultural, dis/ability, and sexual identity) in the field of history and within the AASLH itself.
Members
Richard Josey (Chair), Collective Journeys, LLC (2018-2022)
Marian Carpenter (Vice-Chair), Conner Prairie (2018-2022)
Abbie Diaz, Wisconsin Maritime Museum (2021-2023)
John Dichtl (Ex officio), AASLH
Omar Eaton-Martinez, Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (2018-2022)
Enimini Ekong, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site (2018-2022)
Veronica Gallardo, Fort Monroe Authority (2018-2022)
Jennifer Kilmer, Washington State Historical Society (2021-2023)
Stacy Klingler, Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House (2018-2022)
Jina Lee, National Museum of African American History (2021-2023)
Lopez Matthews, Howard University (2021-2023)
Staff
Ashley Bouknight
John Dichtl
The Editorial Advisory Board aids in the publication of books in the AASLH series with Rowman & Littlefield Press. The committee is charged to seek out and review proposals for the AASLH series of books, to think critically about the needs of the field, and to bring to the committee any new, interesting, and/or innovative research for possible publication. The committee meets quarterly via conference call to review proposals and reader reports, make recommendations on publications, and brainstorm possible book ideas.
Editorial Advisory Board
Bill Bomar, University of Alabama Museums
Jessica Dorman, Historic New Orleans Collection
Harry Klinkhamer, Venice Museum & Archives
Anne Lindsay, California State University Sacramento
Steven Lubar, Brown University
Laura A. Macaluso, George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Ann McCleary, University of West Georgia
Porchia Moore, Johns Hopkins University
Debra Reid, The Henry Ford
Laura Roberts, Roberts Consulting
Kelby Rose, Independent
Kimberly Springle, Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives
Zachary Stocks, Oregon Black Pioneers
William Stoutamire, University of Nebraska Kearney
William S. Walker, Cooperstown Graduate Program SUNY Oneonta
STAFF
Aja Bain, AASLH
Charles Harmon, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
The National Awards Committee oversees the work of the AASLH Leadership in History Awards. AASLH bestows Leadership in History Awards to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all Americans.
By publicly recognizing superior and innovative achievements, the Leadership in History Awards serve as an inspiration to others in the field. The committee works with staff to administer the program. Regional chairs represent their respective regions in reviewing nominations from state chairs and submitting nominations to the national level. Each spring, regional chairs meet in Nashville to review award nominations and to pass the results of the judging on to their state reps. Travel is required of the regional chairs to the awards review meeting in Nashville.
AASLH Representatives
Bethany Hawkins, Chief of Operations, [email protected], 615-320-3203
Aja Bain, Program and Publications Manager, [email protected], 615-320-3203
Robert G. Chenhall’s nomenclature for classifying man-made objects is the standard cataloging tool for thousands of museums and historical organizations across the United States and Canada. Nomenclature’s lexicon of object names, arranged hierarchically within functionally defined categories, has become a de facto standard within the community of history museums in North America.
The Nomenclature Committee serves to promote Nomenclature, to assist with its adoption, and to maintain and develop Nomenclature to ensure that it remains responsive to the needs of the profession. The Nomenclature website (www.nomenclature.info) offers the most up-to-date version of the Nomenclature standard, as well as a user guide, terminology submission forms, and other helpful resources. More information about the Nomenclature project can be found here. Terminology is available in both English and French.
Members
Jennifer Toelle (Chair), Smoky Hill Museum (2021-2023)
Kathleen Byrne, National Park Service (2021-2022)
Rosemary Campbell, Contract work with Parks Canada & CHIN, Retired ( -2024)
Caralyn Courtade, Independent (2021-2023)
Geneviève Déziel, Mccord Museum (2021-2023)
Heather Dunn, Canadian Heritage Information Network (N/A – Liaison for Nomenclature.info)
Shoshana Batya Greenwald, Amud Aish Memorial Museum (2021-2023)
John Hart, Sullivan Museum and History Center ( -2024)
Alyssa Magnone, Aiken County Historical Museum (2021-2023)
Marquita Reed, National Museum of African American Music (2019-2021)
Casey Seger, Great Plains Art Museum, University of Nebraska (2021-2023)
Jean-Luc Vincent, Parks Canada (2021-2022)
The Leadership Nominating Committee works with Council to identify needs of AASLH and gain direction for a slate of officers, Council members, and Leadership Nominating Committee members and develop a slate of candidates. Members of this committee serve one three-year term only. Interested in serving on Council or the Nominating Committee? Learn more.
Members
Helen Wong Smith, Kaua’i Historical Society (2018-2021)
Gretchen Sullivan Sorin, Cooperstown Graduate Program (2018-2021)
Tramia Jackson (Chair), American Museum of Natural History (2019-2022)
Kwasi Agyemang, Ohio History Connection (2019-2022)
Sue Taylor, New Mexico Museum of Space History (2019-2022)
Kevin Cabrera, College Park Aviation Museum (2020-2023)
Gailyn Lehuanani Bopp, Brigham Young University-Hawaii (2020-2023)
Cristin Waterbury, Dubuque County Historical Society (2020-2023)
Stacy Klingler (Ex Officio, voting; Governance Chair), Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House
John Dichtl (Ex Officio, non-voting; President & CEO), AASLH
John Fleming (Ex Officio, non-voting; Past Chair of Council), National Museum of African-American Music
Norman Burns (Ex Officio, non-voting; Chair of Council), Conner Prairie Museum
Interested in serving on the LNC? Learn more and apply today!
The Finance Committee is chaired by AASLH’s Treasurer and meets via conference call to review financial statements prior to each Council meeting and the annual budget. The committee makes recommendations to staff and the AASLH Council as it sees fit. A majority of committee members must have financial expertise.
Members
Becky Beaulieu (Chair), Florence Griswold Museum
Melissa Bingmann, West Virginia University
Norman Burns (Ex Officio), Conner Prairie
Christy Coleman, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
John Dichtl (Ex Officio), AASLH
David Jannsen, Brucemore, Inc.
Michelle Lanier, North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites and Properties
Steve Murray, Alabama Department of Archives & History
Scott Wands, Connecticut Humanities (2016-2018)
The Governance Committee develops and provides the resources needed to help AASLH identify, recruit, educate, cultivate, utilize, and monitor the leadership needed to create a high-functioning national organization that models best practices for its members and the field.
Members
Stacy Klingler (Chair), Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House (2020-)
Lisa Anderson, Woodbury Art Museum, Utah Valley University (2020-)
Dina Bailey, Mountain Top Vision (2019-2021)
Burt Logan (Ex officio), Ohio History Connection (2020-)
John Fleming (Ex officio), National Museum of African American Music (2020-)
Jeff Matsuoka, Indiana Historical Society (2019-2021)
Jennifer Ortiz, Utah Division of Arts & Museums (2020-)
Alexandra Rasic, Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum (2018-2020)
Gina Vergara-Bautista, Hawaii State Archives (2020-)
The Investment Committee is responsible for evaluating the investment strategies of AASLH’s restricted and unrestricted investments, and making adjustments to the strategies as warranted. Members must have investment experience to some degree.
Members
Ann Toplovich (Chair), Tennessee Historical Society (2016-2021)
Becky Beaulieu (Ex Officio), Florence Griswold Museum (2020-)
Norman Burns (Ex Officio), Conner Prairie
John Dichtl (Ex Officio), AASLH
Pam Garcia, Independent Consultant (2017-2021)
Jennifer Kilmer, Washington State Historical Society (2017-2021)
Stacy Klingler, Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House (2020-)
Dennis A. O’Toole, Cañada Alamosa Institute, Inc. (2013-2021)
Keith Spelmon, Pinnacle Asset Management (2019-2021)
The Standards and Ethics Committee provides ongoing counsel to the Council and President as needed, makes recommendations for policy when required, issues position papers addressing sections of the AASLH Ethics Statement or related issues, acts as content and copy editor, and appoints subcommittee members or a volunteer author as appropriate for the task, reviews and, if necessary, makes recommendations to the AASLH Council to revise the AASLH Professional Ethics Statement, consults with staff when AASLH considers professional expectations or standards within the field, and works with AASLH’s STEPS program; the only national standards program for history organizations.
Members
Erin Richardson (Chair), Frank & Glory Consulting (2018-2021)
Michelle Banks, African American Firefighter Museum (2020-2022)
Chris Goodlett, Kentucky Derby Museum (2020-2022)
Jennifer Huebscher, Minnesota Historical Society (2019-2021)
Trevor Jones, History Nebraska (2019-2021)
Heather Kuruvilla, Kutztown University (2019-2021)
Maggie Marconi, Independent Consultant (2018-2021)
Aimee Newell, National Heritage Museum (2020-2022)
Alex Rasic, Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum (2020-2022)
Staff
John Marks, AASLH