Plant City Photo Archives & History Center continues its growth pattern as it prepares for its quarter-century anniversary. Under the leadership of Executive Director Samantha Poirier, who joined the Archives in September 2021, it has focused on implementing inventory reorganization, collection identification and storage, computerization and access, and retrieval methodology including updating PastPerfect museum software programming.
Poirier, who will be moving to Massachusetts in her career development, is proud of the work she has accomplished while with the Photo Archives and looks forward to future challenges when she leaves Plant City at the end of August. She expressed gratitude to the people of Plant City who have welcomed her and have extended great friendship and collegiality.
Archives President Ed Verner praised Poirier for her dedication, wishing her well, and has appointed Bill Thomas to lead the search committee for a successor who, as Executive Director, will continue to lead the Photo Archives as it grows toward its 25th year.
The search committee which will be receiving applications from interested candidates includes Bill Thomas, chairman, Ed Verner, Robert Trinkle, Jim Shump, Marion Smith, Felix Haynes, Faychone Durant Newby, and John Haney. Former Executive Director Gil Gott will be facilitating the search for the new Executive Director. Interested individuals should inquire and send correspondence to Gott at his email address: gvgott@gmail.com, or contact the Photo Archives office.
Incorporated as Plant City Photo Archives, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization in 2000, the Photo Archives emphasized its history orientation and began doing business as Plant City Photo Archives & History Center in 2010. Collaborating with a major donor, retired pediatrician Dr. Huang, the history center was later named the Dr. Scotty & Hsiu Huang History Center.
Over the past 20 years the Photo Archives has become known for its community participation including working closely with the Bing House African American Museum, Arts Council of Plant City, Florida Strawberry Festival, City of Plant City, and the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the Archives has collaborated with Wilson Elementary, Lincoln Elementary Magnet School, Plant City High School, Bruton Memorial Library, South Florida Hospital, Florida Southern College, Hillsborough Community College, Plant City Observer, In The Field magazine, FOCUS Magazine, Florida Humanities, WUSF, University of South Florida, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s History Center, and many civic and community organizations.
Among the outstanding events brought to the community is the first Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street Exhibition which was on display at the Archives from May to July 2012. The Archives also brought the J. Seward Johnson sculptures to Plant City with its first exhibit running for three months in the summer of 2012 and continues annually, now under the leadership of the Arts Council.
Initiating the Jr. Archivist program, the Archives was hailed nationally, by the American Society of Archivists, as a leader in the field of youth development. The Archives has published over 120 articles in publications including In The Field magazine, FOCUS Magazine, The Courier, Plant City Observer, Society of Florida Archivists Newsletter, and contributed to the WUSF TV award winning video production Plant City Goes To War.
Plant City Photo Archives & History Center now seeks its third Executive Director in over 20 years and invites interested community history-oriented individuals to contact the search committee. Please send inquiries or resumes to gvgott@gmail.com.
