The First 90
Building While Moving
A new chapter. A growing team. No time to stand still.
Ninety days.
That's how long it's been since I packed up my life in Nashville, Tennessee, moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and stepped into my role as the inaugural Chief Marketing Officer of the International African American Museum (IAAM).
And WHAT a 90 days it's been.
When I accepted this position, I knew I was stepping into something significant. IAAM is still a relatively young institution, having opened its doors in June 2023 after decades of planning, advocacy, and determination to bring this museum to life.
Now comes the next chapter: building the infrastructure, expanding our reach, and establishing the foundation for long-term institutional success.
My assignment? Build the marketing division.
Oh, and keep everything moving in the meantime.
Ninety Days. Quite a Calendar.
So, what exactly have these first 90 days looked like?
Well...
A little institutional development.
We've finalized and published IAAM's first annual report, officially introducing the IAAM Yearbook. We've also coordinated the museum's first institution-wide professional headshot shoot, giving our team a consistent, polished visual presence.
And we've just hosted our first Media Day since the museum opened in 2023, introducing our marketing team to the public, teasing what's coming in 2025, and showcasing Unsettled Things, our newest special exhibition.
A lot of community and culture.
I've had the opportunity to celebrate the launch of Six Nineteen 1865 Foundation and Six Nineteen of 1865 with Babette Bouvier Jones and her team.
We've worked alongside the Charleston Literary Festival and helped cover what would become the late Nikki Giovanni's final public interview.
We've participated in Emancipation Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, collaborated with community partners including YWCA Charleston, and continued finding new ways to connect IAAM with the people and organizations around us.
I've also represented the museum at the Riley Institute's Riley-Wilkins OneSouthCarolina Legislative and Civic Leadership Awards and begun developing new partnership opportunities.
And somewhere in there, we're preparing to launch our official branded merchandise line on February 1.
Because why not add one more thing to the calendar?
Oh, and a presidential visit.
Yes. That happened, too.
On January 20, 2025, President Joe Biden spent his final day in office visiting IAAM.
In preparation for the occasion, I developed an original commemorative gift on behalf of the museum, CEO Dr. Tonya M. Matthews, and Congressman James E. Clyburn, collaborating with three talented Charleston artists to bring the concept to life. (I'll share more about the commemorative piece separately because that project deserves its own story.)
And then I got to meet the President.
Shake his hand. Take a photo. And tell the sitting president of the United States of America that my grandmother said, "After Obama, you're my favorite."
Yes, I actually said that to him.
Building While Moving
If these first 90 days have taught me anything, it's that leadership doesn't always come with the luxury of getting everything perfectly situated before the real work begins.
Sometimes you're hiring a team, establishing processes, building relationships, responding
Building the Team. Laying the Foundation.
In three months, I've hired three incredible marketing professionals (Paul Holston, Trevor Arrowood, and Dalen Priester) to help build the division.
Together, we're establishing the internal marketing infrastructure, processes, and workflows needed to support a growing institution. From creative development and communications to audience engagement and cross-departmental collaboration, we're laying the groundwork for what comes next.
And while all of that is happening behind the scenes, the public-facing work hasn't slowed down for a second.
Because apparently, we're building the plane while flying it.
