A concurrent RESOLUTION

To recognize and honor Robin Waites, Executive Director of Historic Columbia, upon the occasion of her retirement after a distinguished career of more than twenty-five years in the field of museums and historic preservation and to wish her continued success and happiness in all her future endeavors.

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly is pleased to learn that Robin Waites, executive director of Historic Columbia, will begin a well-deserved retirement in June 2024 after more than twenty-five years of service as a museum professional, most recently as executive director of Historic Columbia (HC); and

Whereas, Waites' experience at Historic Columbia spans twenty-two years, including twenty years as executive director. She has grown the organization from a $300,000 dollars operating budget to more than $2 million, with a professional staff of twenty full-time and twenty part-time staff members. HC now manages five historic museum sites, oversees fourteen acres of historically informed grounds, and holds sixteen historic easements. Prior to joining HC, Waites served as a curatorial assistant, field services coordinator, and chief curator of art for the South Carolina State Museum; and

Whereas, Waites oversaw the rehabilitation and transformation of several HC-managed sites, including the Woodrow Wilson Family Home into the nation's first museum dedicated to Reconstruction; the home of Modjeska Monteith Simkins into a museum addressing Columbia's impact on the Civil Rights Movement; the Mann-Simons Site into an indoor and outdoor museum addressing the Jim Crow and urban renewal periods; and the grounds of the Hampton-Preston Mansion into a regional attraction via the state-of-the-art Boyd Horticultural Center, where citizens can attend free and low-cost programming on a year-round basis; and

Whereas, under Waites' leadership, the Jubilee Festival of African American History and Culture has grown into a major festival in the Southeast, with thousands of people in attendance each year. In its forty-sixth year, Jubilee is now the longest-running festival in the City of Columbia; and

Whereas, through the groundbreaking Connecting Communities through History initiatives, Waites and Historic Columbia have empowered citizens to celebrate their neighborhood histories through walking tours, online resources, and wayside signage and historical markers found in public green spaces. This initiative has grown to encompass the Jewish, LGBTQ+, and disability communities, as well as women through the Columbia City of Women project; and

Whereas, throughout her tenure, Waites' cultivation of partnerships with local universities, nonprofits, homeowners, and developers has granted unprecedented public access to and advocacy for historic sites in Richland County, including the former South Carolina State Hospital, Kensington Mansion, the Palmetto Compress Building, the Brennan and Arcade buildings, the 1600 block of Columbia's Main Street, and numerous other significant properties; and

Whereas, in preparation for her life's work, Waites earned two bachelor's degrees from Middlebury College and a master's degree from the University of South Carolina. She has leadership roles in several organizations, including Columbia College as a board member and the American Alliance of Museums as a member and national peer reviewer. For her service, Waites was awarded the 2019 Stephen Morrison Visionary Award and the 2020 Governor's Award in the Humanities; and

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly is grateful for the legacy of committed excellence Robin Waites has bestowed on the Palmetto State and the members take much pleasure in wishing her well as she enters retirement. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and honor Robin Waites, executive director of Historic Columbia, upon the occasion of her retirement after a distinguished career of more than twenty-five years in the field of museums and historic preservation and wish her continued success and happiness in all her future endeavors.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Robin Waites.

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