Dr. Shanaee Bodrick – Executive Director
Q &A with HCA Executive Director Shanaee Bodrick, Ph.D.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your background and what inspired you to work in the field of history and preservation.
A: I am a Charlotte, North Carolina native. My career path as a historian was inspired by my family. With both maternal and paternal sides hailing from Orangeburg, South Carolina, these roots are deep and special. They make me who I am and continue to guide me in more ways than one. My family is full of graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs). Spending time on and off campus centered around these institutions ignited a fire in me. Not only did I admire the graduates of HCBUs, I also fell in love with their infrastructure.
For these reasons, I attended Virginia State University, where I was a history major and a philosophy minor. I had an opportunity to work with special collections but had no clue about the world of public history. I knew about preservation but this really was a foreign concept to me.
What was I going to do with a history degree? Most would assume teaching. However, the work I was able to do in the university archives opened up a whole new world for me. In special collections, I gained experience cataloging, creating exhibits, giving tours to local organizations, and digitizing. These skills introduced me to public history. Once I found the name of my career, I ran with it. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. That’s what started me on my way. It led me to graduate school and get a full degree in public history.
While I was in Washington, D.C., there was a lot of opportunity to work in preservation. I interned with the National Archives, preserving film. I cleaned and spliced together old film reels. I worked on rare films from early Hollywood. I didn’t realize the value of learning that. Only a handful of people in the building at that time could do that. I volunteered for the National Parks Service. That helped me learn more about exhibitions and tourism. I would say that those were the two experiences that led me down the road to historic preservation and being interested in local history.
It even carried into my personal life. In Charlotte, I became very interested in looking at North Carolina county pictorial books. I stumbled across a pageant queen who was a graduate of Second Ward High School in about 1960. I started doing my own personal oral history project. That led me to do an oral history project with Barber-Scotia [in Concord]. I just wanted to know how it impacted the City of Concord when it closed down and what it did to the people. I was really interested in that qualitative part – getting the stories of the people. What were they feeling? What did they do?
Q: Was your project with Barber-Scotia College your introduction to Cabarrus County history?
A: It wasn’t my introduction, but I would say it was my first personal connection with Cabarrus County. I had read about Cabarrus County and attended events, but it was my first boots-on-the-ground research. My topic was about alumni giving and the economics of minority-serving institutions in small college towns.
Q: What drew you to Historic Cabarrus Association?
A: I had reached my wit’s end looking for an opportunity that welcomed my interest of historic preservation. It’s actually quite hard to find a position in historic preservation in Mecklenburg County. I had to sit down and pray about what I really wanted. I concluded that the searches I was doing were not working out because I wasn’t looking for exactly what I wanted. I boldly started looking for positions that explicitly mentioned historic preservation.
Within a week, while looking at an event for another historical society, Historic Cabarrus popped up. I decided to check out the organization and see if they had anything open. Sure enough, I saw a position that was open. I thought that had reached a certain point in my career where maybe I can go forward, but wasn’t sure I was ready for it. I ran into the position again on LinkedIn. When I saw it a third time, I thought, OK, let me put in for it. When I heard back within a few days, I thought, alright, this can be a thing.
Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career so far?
A: While a grad student at Howard University, I had an opportunity to honor the Swanns, of the court case Swann vs. Charlotte Mecklenburg (Board of Education, 1971) about integration. I tested on this court case throughout school, and thought of them as being in my book (textbook). I actually had the opportunity to honor them as living legends, interview them, and share their experience. The HBCU that inspired my family – my father and siblings graduated from Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte – I would say that event, planning with the community and alumni, was an experience that I really did enjoy – North Carolina history and programming.
Q: What are some interests that you have outside of work?
A: I am an avid museum-goer. I love interactive museum exhibitions. I have to take my two little besties with me (her children). Being outdoors. As I get older, I understand that movement in any form is great. I am a crafter. That’s my thing. I have a cricut machine. I really do love family and intimate settings. It doesn’t take much for me to have a good time.
Q: You have only been with HCA for a short time, but you have been working on some strategic planning. Have you developed some key goals for the next few years?
A: First, I am extremely excited by the opportunity to lead HCA during its next phase of growth and relevance to the community. Reconnecting with our supporters and neighbors is key these next few years. This organization has been here for quite some time. I believe in the first few years it is really just about connection. I think Concord and Cabarrus is an amazing place to really hone in on the people and families.
In addition, working to share our collection and re-imagine the exhibit space (at the historic courthouse). There is a wealth of information on the board. The board truly understands the importance of protecting historic structures. Their extensive experience and passion for preservation make them a great team to do this work. Saving buildings is one of the most important things we can do for preservation because it gives us a direct and visible link to our past. We can provide the platform to share that. I am looking forward to increased programming and events, and to capitalize on everything that is going on outside of our doors – the revitalization of downtown Concord. It is an amazing period – a growing economy, more people moving in. We should be a part of showing that evolution.
Q: What are some ways HCA can engage with the community and increase interest in historic preservation?
A: It really begins in this room (at the historic courthouse) – reimagining this space and what
is in it. In my first full week, there was much curiosity about our exhibit space from individuals passing by. Every day that I’ve been here, someone asks what are we going to do with this space. Historic societies have shown a concerted effort to strengthen interactive programs
to give visitors a more complete and accurate experience. Historic Cabarrus hopes to engage the public with small deposits of preservation tips they can do at home with their families.
These could include learning to preserve family photos or record an oral history.
Q: Can you discuss the importance of partnerships and collaborations in achieving our organization’s mission?
A: As the City of Concord and the region continues to transform and expand, it’s critical that we understand how we got to where we are today. Through diverse programming and working alongside projects like Meadowview and Boxwood Manor, Historic Cabarrus Association will offer a singular place for our community to understand its history. I think about Gibson Mill and how that space has transformed, as well as the many other stories in Cabarrus County.
The biggest outcome is that partnerships call for community and access for everyone to benefit. Also, cultivating those relationships with other historical societies both in and outside of Cabarrus – being able to support one another, creating programming opportunities, and understanding new trends within historic preservation.
Q. What are some ideas that you have regarding fundraising and donor engagement?
A: Again, it all starts with relationships. I want partners and sponsors to be excited about what we are doing. The only way to do that is to keep our wheels turning with programming and getting them involved – making sure that the relationship is off to a good start and building from there.
A lot of fund development, not necessarily just fundraising. Looking at grant opportunities.
Q: How would you describe your leadership style, and how will you engage with the board
of directors?
A: This is by far the biggest team I have worked with. Over my career, I have had the opportunity to lead smaller teams. I would definitely say that my leadership style is open-door. I am very big on communication and consistency. I need that type of culture.
I want to know what the board is thinking. You all have amazing ideas and you want to share them. I want to be open to new ideas. I’m big about processes and intention. I’m definitely about putting things down on paper to get started and making sure we have the tools to do so. To make sure we have an understanding of goals and expectations.
Q: Have you noticed any trends in historic preservation and with historic organizations
in general?
A: We are definitely in a digital world. But there is a benefit to both digital and having an in-person space. There are still people wanting to have a hands-on experience. I understand the benefit of it (digital exhibits), but many are tired of things being overly produced. Some museums and organizations are using the same script and the marketing feels the same- as far as reaching out to their constituents and patrons. People may say, “I’m actually tired of the digital world. I have time today, or weekends that are open. I want to see what they are doing.” That is what is unique about this space (the HCA office at the historic courthouse). I envision it to be a self-guided opportunity to come in and see what we have, touch it, and read something for yourself – to bring people back as we grow. Programming is a trend that is coming back.
As far as historic preservation, it is finding new items, pieces that have been neglected or missing for so long, and doing evaluations. That is of interest to the community. Adaptive reuse. Reimagining spaces. I do see that trending a lot. A lot of organizations are finding new ways (to save historic sites) to generate revenue. It’s a work in progress. HCA hopes to be more involved in that going forward.
Q: What advice would you give someone who is interested in exploring a career in historic preservation or nonprofit management?
A: Volunteer. If you have some type of curiosity, volunteer. I think a lot of individuals underestimate how transformational volunteering can be. Over my career, if I read something on a website and I just really wanted to know something as far as historic preservation was concerned, I asked about volunteering. Learn about different avenues you can pursue. That experience is valuable. You have to start somewhere.