This Is Who We Are. Details About Danville Historical Society’s Board and Staff
DANVILLE, VA- Who is part of the Danville Historical Society? That’s a question we get asked a lot. Here’s a look at our officers, the board of directors and staff that help with the Society’s work.
Robin Marcato, Executive Director
Robin arrived in Danville in 2018, after working in Washington D.C. for the U. S. Agency for International Development for more than 7 years. Prior to joining the government, she worked for several non-profits, including International Relief and Development and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, raising more than $100 million in donations, funding, and gifts-in-kind.
Her favorite accomplishment is co-creating the Iraqi Cultural Heritage Program, the largest single cultural heritage program ever awarded by the United States. Robin has also worked on successful projects with the U.S. State Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Smithsonian Institution, National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well as numerous other history-based organizations. Robin is also noted for creating a disability employee advocacy group for USAID and oversaw the USAID 25th Anniversary Americans with Disabilities program at the Smithsonian. Robin is a proud Emerson College graduate. She also likes cake.
Sarah Latham, President
After a career as an international radio broadcaster, writer, show host and producer for the Voice of America in Washington, DC, Sarah, along with her husband Dan, moved to Danville in 2005 to fulfill a years-long dream: buying a historic home. With no background in renovation, the couple were looking for a turnkey home or perhaps one with a few small projects. They wound up choosing one of the most dilapidated houses on Millionaires Row. Armed with great enthusiasm and a “how bad can it be” attitude, the Lathams began to bring 840 Main Street back to life. Their labor of love turned the old E.G. Moseley house from a tear-down prospect to a wonderful home that should grace Main Street for many years to come.
Over the years Sarah has served on the City’s Tourism Board and the Commission for Architectural Review. She was on the board of the Danville Preservation League, worked for the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History and as Director of Project Literacy. Sarah’s greatest joy came from her work for the Danville Historical Society (DHS). From 2010 to 2016, Sarah was on the Board of Directors, four of those years as President. For her service in that position, Sarah was honored with the Mary Cahill Award (named for the founder of the Historical Society), DHS’ highest award and one that has been bestowed only three times in the Society’s 51-year history.
After a few years away from the Society, Sarah recently returned to the Board and was elected as President.
Michael McNeely, Vice President
Michael McNeely was born in Virginia and raised in the Danville/Pittsylvania Co. Area. Michael was a 1994 graduate of Chatham High School. He graduated from University of Southern California with a Masters of Clinical Social Work and is a children’s mental health provider.
After living in several larger cities on the east coast, Michael returned home and moved into the Old West End in 2004. Michael has enjoyed historic architecture and restoration from a young age.
Ruby Douglas, Treasurer
Ruby Douglas was born and raised in the Almagro community located on the south side of Danville. She attended Danville public schools and graduated valedictorian of the John M. Langston High School Class of 1968.
After receiving a full scholarship to the College of Home Economics at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Ruby graduated with an MS degree in Textiles and Clothing and received an additional BS degree with honors in Environmental Analysis from the College of Human Ecology.
Throughout her academic and professional careers in the textile industry, she pursued her childhood passion for creating beautiful clothing. Several of her pieces were selected for Cornell College’s Textile and Costume Collection to add to their permanent inventory.
Ruby was awarded the 1982 YMCA of Greater New York Harlem Branch Black Achievers in Industry award and the 1989 Helen Bull Vandervort Achievement Award, presented to the alumni of the College of Human Ecology “who have attained outstanding success and distinction in their chosen profession or life’s work.”
Lee Smallwood, Secretary
Hailing from Bluefield, West Virginia, Lee was immediately attracted to Danville’s charming River District that reminded him of home when he moved here 15 years ago. Lee is the Deputy Public Defender for Danville and also serves on the board for the local United Way. Lee is positively obsessed with fountain pens.
The Society’s Board of Directors consists of eight members. They include:
Mary Barnes — If you live in Danville, chances are you know Mary Barnes, known by some as “Miss Bunny”. She’s been a teacher, a minister, a safe haven, a community’s grandmother, historian and friend to people in many of the city’s neighborhoods. In her own way, because of her life and work, she’s become as much a part of Danville’s history as the pieces she’s rescued over the years. If you want to learn more about her history, click here to read our story.
Petrina A. Carter
Petrina has been a resident of Danville since 1994, she currently serves as the President/CEO for Tri-County Community Action Agency in Halifax, VA. Though she was born and raised in New York City, she remembers fondly the many summers spent in Danville, VA with her aunt and uncle who were natives. Petrina began looking more into Danville history to provide historical context at family gatherings. She is excited to be a part of the Danville Historical Society and looks forward to doing what she can to preserve history for future generations. Petrina holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UNC at Greensboro and a Master of Science in Training and development from the University of Saint Francis.
Andrew Hessler
Board member Dr. Andrew Hessler is originally from Wooster — a small, historic, college town in Ohio.
Andrew moved to Danville in 2018 with his fiancé, Nikki, to work and live closer to his southern relatives. During their welcoming 3-year-stay in the newly restored River District, he became as interested as ever in both the region’s history and its bright future. In 2019, Andrew was appointed by Danville City Council to the River District Design Commission (RDDC) — a seven-member board which reviews architectural changes, planning, and development to downtown. In 2020, Dr. Hessler also became a member of Danville’s Riverview Rotary Club, The Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History (DMFAH) and added to the Board of Directors for the Danville Historical Society.
Andrew is excited to continue work highlighting Danville’s architecture and local preservation through our annual Historic House Tour. He has also enjoyed diving into the archives for old postcards, photos, and online-archive newspaper stories.
While quite the move coming from Ohio, he is happy to be much closer to his grandparents here in Virginia. The swell of building rehabilitation, local growth, and opportunities for personal involvement have been the cherry-on-top to calling Danville HOME. He cannot wait to see what the future holds for Danville.
Karice Luck-Brimmer
Karice Luck-Brimmer is currently a Community Initiatives program associate for Virginia Humanities responsible for developing statewide partnerships, supporting cultural heritage projects in southern Virginia and the General Assembly African American Cultural Resources Task Force.
Working primarily in the Dan River/Danville region, Karice collaborates with local community members to sustain a strong network of cultural organizations committed to positive change. Karice is a public historian and genealogist who has done extensive genealogical research on the Pittsylvania County area, specializing in community-based family history. One of her current projects includes the development of the Danville Research Center for African American History & Culture.
She is the founding president of the Danville/Pittsylvania County Chapter of the Afro-American Historical & Genealogical Society (AAHGS). In 2019, she was appointed by Governor Northam to serve on the Virginia Board of Historic Resources. She also serves on various boards in different capacities. Karice is also the proud owner of Our History Matters, LLC that provides heritage tours, historic preservation consulting and genealogy services.
Sarah Robertson
In addition to the officers and board, the Society has a two person staff helping with operations.
Cody Foster
Cody comes from Caswell County, North Carolina. His background was in horticulture, but he also has a passion for restoration. He’s currently restoring the John Speer Cottage on Pine Street.
Joe Scott
Joe is a Danville native, with family roots in Pittsylvania County. He has a management background, and has been studying Danville history for the last 12 years.
