Kevin Cherry has a history of remarkable leadership in public history and education. Prior to joining CAHPT, Kevin served for nearly ten years as State Historian and Director of Archives and History for the State of North Carolina, overseeing historic sites, museums, and historic preservation efforts across the state. He led North Carolina’s digital learning initiative, NC ECHO, and assisted in development of the National Digital Stewardship Residency Program for the Library of Congress. Previously, he served as a senior program officer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), overseeing a $25 million annual grant program for libraries. In 2010, he earned his Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kevin shapes CAHPT’s educational vision and is implementing a safe reopening of our historic sites. Collaborating with partners, he spearheads the development of immersive and innovative learning opportunities to serve public, professional, and academic communities.

With extensive experience in both non-profit and for-profit financial management, our Chief Financial Officer Sharon Frank served for fourteen years as the Controller and Director of Finance for the North Carolina Museum of Art and later as Senior Director of Accounting for the North Carolina Healthcare Association.  Sharon began her career with twelve years in accounting and international tax management at Glaxo Smith Kline, then with a private CPA firm in Durham.  Sharon holds a B.S. in business administration and is a licensed CPA.

As Chief Financial Officer, Sharon oversees all financial operations, conducts financial planning, and analyzes the organization’s operations for greater efficiency and sustainability.

In his curatorial career, Grant has worked at historic sites associated with four U.S. Presidents. As a student majoring in history and anthropology in Kentucky, he participated in excavations at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. After graduate studies at the University of South Carolina, focused on the material culture of urban slavery in Columbia, he worked as the collections manager at James Monroe’s Ash Lawn-Highland, and then assistant curator at James Madison’s Montpelier during its major restoration and refurnishing project. Most recently, he served as Curator at Tudor Place, an 1816 house in Georgetown, D.C. Grant supervises the care and management of all Trust collections to ensure that they are accessible to a wide audience.

A South Carolina native, Will is a graduate of Wofford College and the Clemson/College of Charleston Program in Historic Preservation. For five years he apprenticed with Richard Marks Restorations and worked on a variety of 18th and 19th century buildings in historic Charleston. As Property Manager for Historic Charleston Foundation for eight years, he oversaw everything from maintenance to hurricane preparedness for the Nathaniel Russell and Aiken-Rhett Houses. As Director of Historic Preservation for CAHPT, Will carefully manages important preservation projects across the sites, while assuming responsibility for the daily operations of Roper House.

Ryan manages on-site experiences across the CAHPT sites. He is a graduate of the History Leadership Institute, The University of St. Andrews (Scotland), and Hillsdale College. Ryan has more than fifteen years of experience in public history and cultural organizations. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director for the Smithfield-Preston Foundation in Blacksburg, Virginia. He previously spent more than ten years at The Henry Ford, including four years as General Manager of Greenfield Village.

Kim is a native North Carolinian and a graduate of NC State University. An outdoors enthusiast, she enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, and cycling. Professionally Kim has over 30 years experience in public history including five years serving as liaison with cultural heritage professionals in public and private museums, libraries, archives, parks, and historic sites across North Carolina fostering collaborative work and promoting a state government-sponsored grant program. She also served more than a decade as the AV Materials archivist for the State Archives of North Carolina providing research and reference services, actively building the collection, and engaging the public and through social media and traditional venues. Kim furthers the work of the Trust through public engagement in the online environment.

Joe manages the digital footprint of the Trust, helping to share our stories and sites online. He previously worked as Research Supervisor and Colonial Records Editor for the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and as a historian for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Joe took a doctorate in early American history from the University of Florida.