HSAA Council: Florida Black History Museum Update & Juneteenth History

Description

Historic St. Augustine Area Council - Florida Black History Museum Update & Juneteenth History

St. Augustine has been awarded the site of the Florida Black History Museum. Hear from Regina Gayle Phillips, executive director of the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center and serving member of the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force, and Susan Phillips, President & Chief Executive Officer of the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau (VCB), as they share the process of securing the Museum site for St. Augustine and what to expect from this exciting new attraction. Also learn about the national and local history of Juneteenth, as we recognize this impactful holiday during this week.

REGINA GAYLE PHILLIPS

Phillips is executive director of the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center which is housed in the historic Excelsior High School in St. Augustine, FL. The museum has interpretive exhibits and programs chronicling nearly 500 years of Black history. She began at the museum as a volunteer in 2015 and has been instrumental in its transformation and development from an all-volunteer organization to a nationally recognized museum. Under her leadership the museum has established daily operations, curated new exhibits, and developed coalitions with other institutions. Phillips, a Jacksonville native, graduated from Wolfson Sr. High School, Florida Junior College, and the University of Florida School of Journalism. She is also a graduate of the First Coast Technical Institution Culinary Program. She brings business and former journalistic skills to grant writing, exhibit curation, and museum management. She introduced Lincolnville Presents Jazz at the Excelsior, a Living Legends recognition and Juneteenth programs as a part of the museum’s offerings. The historic preservation of the Excelsior School is among the projects she has spearheaded. That final project will be more than $2 million at completion. She has served on the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum board of directors. She currently served on the St. Augustine Historical Society, board of directors and as chairperson of the St. Johns County Tourism Development Council. She served on the Florida Black Museum Task Force. She lives in St. Augustine with her husband of 38 years, Floyd who also serves as president of the museum’s board of directors.

Susan Phillips has nearly 40 years of experience in the travel and hospitality, aviation, legal, and financial services industries with expertise in large-scale management of marketing, media, public relations, and business strategy

Ms. Phillips is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau (VCB). Previously she was the Director of Tourism Promotion & Strategic Alliances at the Bureau, where she successfully worked to enhance Florida’s Historic Coast as a popular tourism and meetings destination through promotion and strategic partnerships with corporate, media, and governmental projects to bring TV production, film, and other promotional opportunities to the destination. She has been responsible for the VCB’s strategic planning; involved in brand development; and provided marketing agency supervision and oversight of the VCB’s advertising agency, interactive website marketing agency, Hispanic PR media agency, and fulfillment and distribution agency.

The Historic St. Augustine Area Council of the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce serves as the unified voice for businesses in Historic Downtown, advocating for the unique needs of the area's business community. The council is designed to foster collaboration among businesses, support economic growth, promote the preservation of St. Augustine's rich heritage and provide valuable resources and networking opportunities to enhance business success in this iconic destination.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Gold Sponsor - $250

• Recognition as sponsor of 1 session
• Complimentary seat (1) at session
• Opportunity to offer promotional items/information to attendees
• Opportunity to address attendees and promote company (3 minutes)
• Post-event, receive a list of attendees with email addresses
• Name/logo recognition in promotional emails
• Logo and link on chamber website