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Kirby leaves Mansion for Austin post
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| Diana Kirby, right, heads off to Austin for the new position of historic sites supervisor in the Texas Historic Commission. Marsha Hendrix, who has been the assistant manager at the Fulton Mansion, will take over the reins as site manager. Both posts begin Monday, Dec.1. Photo by NORMA MARTINEZ |
By NORMA MARTINEZ, Managing Editor
The Fulton Mansion will be losing the manager it has had for the last 24 years, but will be gaining a liaison in Austin who will continue to oversee this historic state park as well as nine others. The transition to a new director, however, will be a smooth one as the assistant director has been hired to take over as director.
Fulton Mansion Manager Diana Kirby has been promoted to historic sites supervisor and Marsha Hendrix to Mansion manager. Their respective new duties begin Monday, Dec. 1.
Kirby was originally born in Fairbanks, AL, but grew up in Memphis, TN and Irving due to the fact her father was in the Air Force.
She earned a degree in history from the University of Memphis and completed graduate work at the University of Houston. It was during that time when the position of Fulton Mansion curator became available. Kirby later earned a degree in counseling from then-Corpus Christi State University.
Kirby accepted the post, although she had a solid offer from the Ashton Villa in Galveston. She opted to wait it out, and the waiting paid off as she was hired as the Mansion curator.
She held that position for about a year when she was promoted to site manager/director.
Kirby said she never thought she would stay at the Mansion as long as she has, and joked, “But life intervened and here I am.”
She then explained the reason she applied for the state position. She pointed out the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department created a new division with the Texas Historic Commission to oversee historic park/sites in the state. She said they did not anticipate the amount of support staff the division director would need. The director was being inundated with calls from state historic site directors who needed assistance with tasks which in the overall scope of the director's job, were minor in nature. Thus the director sought to obtain and received the posts of historic sites supervisors to assist with those duties.
The Mansion manager explained she applied for the job because she wants to to try something different now that she is two to three years away from retirement.
Kirby is one of two such individuals, and each will be responsible for oversight and supervision of 10 historic sites within the Historic Sites Division. The basic duties include prioritizing needs and resources; monitoring budget and expenditures; hiring, supervision and development of site managers and other key staff; preparing recommendations to the Deputy Executive Director for Historic Sites with regard to budgeting, program needs and personnel, including disciplinary actions for staff; overseeing operational issues including review of interpretive plans and programs, marketing, development projects and collections management in coordination with appropriate division staff.
The historic sites supervisor is the primary division liaison with friends groups whose good will and support are vital to effective delivery of visitor services, and represents the division with other partners, special interest groups, community officials, professional colleagues and others as needed. The supervisor will identify new opportunities and resources available to the sites/program which can expand or enhance the program.
The sites which Kirby will oversee, including the Fulton Mansion, are Casa Navarro in San Antonio, Eisenhower Birthplace in Dennison, Landmark Inn in Castroville, Magoffin Home in El Paso, National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredricksburg, Sam Bell Maxey in Paris, Sam Rayburn House Museum in Bonham, Starr Family Home in Marshall, and Varner-Hogg Plantation in West Columbia.
Kirby has acquired an apartment but will be coming home to Rockport on the weekends. The apartment is not located far from downtown Austin, where her office is located on the corner of San Antonio and 16th Streets.
She said is looking forward to the new challenges of defining the role for the position, and working with the division director.
Kirby said it is a great opportunity and she is looking forward to becoming familiar with the sites which will now be under her supervision.
She will continue to oversee the Fulton Mansion as well which suits new manager Hendrix just fine.
She is originally from the Galveston are and ironically, worked at the Ashton Villa while a teenager in high school. Based on the time period, if Kirby had taken the job at the Villa instead of the curator job at the Mansion, she and Hendrix would have met then.
Hendrix earned a psychology degree from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas and later a master's in public history from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
After college she worked at a historic home in Waco and later the Dr. Pepper museum in that same city.
After attending Baylor University and earning a doctorate in educational psychology, with a focus on learning in museum, she was hired as the assistant director at the Fulton Mansion.
She has held that position for the last four years, but did have to apply for the manager/director's job when Kirby was promoted.
They both stated the promotion was not a given.
Hendrix said she is looking forward to the smooth transition noting the staff and Friends of the Fulton Mansion have all been supportive.
She will be facing challenges as well with the upcoming construction of the Mansion's new visitors center.
Kirby said of Hendrix's promotion, “I can't imagine anyone else here (as manager).”
The two may not be working together daily as they used to, but Kirby is just a telephone call away. Besides, checking on the Fulton Mansion will still be a part of her job.
Fulton Mansion Manager Diana Kirby has been promoted to historic sites supervisor and Marsha Hendrix to Mansion manager. Their respective new duties begin Monday, Dec. 1.
Kirby was originally born in Fairbanks, AL, but grew up in Memphis, TN and Irving due to the fact her father was in the Air Force.
She earned a degree in history from the University of Memphis and completed graduate work at the University of Houston. It was during that time when the position of Fulton Mansion curator became available. Kirby later earned a degree in counseling from then-Corpus Christi State University.
Kirby accepted the post, although she had a solid offer from the Ashton Villa in Galveston. She opted to wait it out, and the waiting paid off as she was hired as the Mansion curator.
She held that position for about a year when she was promoted to site manager/director.
Kirby said she never thought she would stay at the Mansion as long as she has, and joked, “But life intervened and here I am.”
She then explained the reason she applied for the state position. She pointed out the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department created a new division with the Texas Historic Commission to oversee historic park/sites in the state. She said they did not anticipate the amount of support staff the division director would need. The director was being inundated with calls from state historic site directors who needed assistance with tasks which in the overall scope of the director's job, were minor in nature. Thus the director sought to obtain and received the posts of historic sites supervisors to assist with those duties.
The Mansion manager explained she applied for the job because she wants to to try something different now that she is two to three years away from retirement.
Kirby is one of two such individuals, and each will be responsible for oversight and supervision of 10 historic sites within the Historic Sites Division. The basic duties include prioritizing needs and resources; monitoring budget and expenditures; hiring, supervision and development of site managers and other key staff; preparing recommendations to the Deputy Executive Director for Historic Sites with regard to budgeting, program needs and personnel, including disciplinary actions for staff; overseeing operational issues including review of interpretive plans and programs, marketing, development projects and collections management in coordination with appropriate division staff.
The historic sites supervisor is the primary division liaison with friends groups whose good will and support are vital to effective delivery of visitor services, and represents the division with other partners, special interest groups, community officials, professional colleagues and others as needed. The supervisor will identify new opportunities and resources available to the sites/program which can expand or enhance the program.
The sites which Kirby will oversee, including the Fulton Mansion, are Casa Navarro in San Antonio, Eisenhower Birthplace in Dennison, Landmark Inn in Castroville, Magoffin Home in El Paso, National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredricksburg, Sam Bell Maxey in Paris, Sam Rayburn House Museum in Bonham, Starr Family Home in Marshall, and Varner-Hogg Plantation in West Columbia.
Kirby has acquired an apartment but will be coming home to Rockport on the weekends. The apartment is not located far from downtown Austin, where her office is located on the corner of San Antonio and 16th Streets.
She said is looking forward to the new challenges of defining the role for the position, and working with the division director.
Kirby said it is a great opportunity and she is looking forward to becoming familiar with the sites which will now be under her supervision.
She will continue to oversee the Fulton Mansion as well which suits new manager Hendrix just fine.
She is originally from the Galveston are and ironically, worked at the Ashton Villa while a teenager in high school. Based on the time period, if Kirby had taken the job at the Villa instead of the curator job at the Mansion, she and Hendrix would have met then.
Hendrix earned a psychology degree from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas and later a master's in public history from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
After college she worked at a historic home in Waco and later the Dr. Pepper museum in that same city.
After attending Baylor University and earning a doctorate in educational psychology, with a focus on learning in museum, she was hired as the assistant director at the Fulton Mansion.
She has held that position for the last four years, but did have to apply for the manager/director's job when Kirby was promoted.
They both stated the promotion was not a given.
Hendrix said she is looking forward to the smooth transition noting the staff and Friends of the Fulton Mansion have all been supportive.
She will be facing challenges as well with the upcoming construction of the Mansion's new visitors center.
Kirby said of Hendrix's promotion, “I can't imagine anyone else here (as manager).”
The two may not be working together daily as they used to, but Kirby is just a telephone call away. Besides, checking on the Fulton Mansion will still be a part of her job.
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