Heather Hodges Email & Phone Number

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Responsible for planning, managing and implementing activities that raise awareness of institution with broad range of individuals, organizations and communities in order to grow engagement, generate financial support to advance the mission of THNOC and to timely achieve the goals of our strategic plan. Leads and sets strategic direction for Development, Communications, Marketing + Pre-Professional/Internship departments.LOCAL AND NATIONAL BOARD SERVICE + LEADERSHIPBoard of Directors, New Orleans Chamber of CommerceChair, Board of Trustees, American Folklife Center, U.S. Library of CongressBoard of Directors, NOUS FoundationBoard of Directors, S.C. AquariumMembership Committee, New Orleans & Co. (begins Jan. 2025)Advisory Board, Joyner Institute for Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Studies, Coastal Carolina UniversityPRESENTATIONS"How the U.S. National Park Service Funds and Presents Interpretations and Demonstrations of Traditional Culture in Communities", National Association of Interpretation -- Annual Meeting (12/6/24)"French Quarter Building as Client", Past/Forward, National Trust for Historic Preservation (10/28/24)"Building A Sustainable Cultural Economy", Forum Économique, Tulane University (4/15/24)INSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITIONLouisiana Association of Museums: 2023 Museum of the Year AwardINDIVIDUAL RECOGNITIONNew Orleans Magazine: 2024 Top Female Achievers2024 CityBusiness Power List: 20 Most Influential People in Tourism and HospitalityNew Orleans Jazz Museum: Women's History Month/Women In the ArtsPUBLICATIONS"What it Means to Eat Black New Orleans", GRAVY Quarterly, Southern Foodways Alliance (Summer 2024)"Let's Envision Museums as Hubs for Innovation", Guest Column, The Times-Picayune (6/27/24)Review: Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and It’s People, The Public Historian (2024) 46 (1): 194–197.MEDIA"AFC Board of Trustees Names New Chair Heather Hodges", Folklife Today, U.S. Library of Congress (10/27/2023)

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Leads division that includes the Development, Communications/Marketing + Internship programs. Sets overall strategy to maximize awareness of THNOC + broaden engagement."Yet She is Advancing" + "American Democracy" (2023): exhibits successfully launched with opening reception and Community Day that each drew over 300. Identified community partners, media sponsor and oversaw launch of advertising campaigns."Notre-Dame de Paris: the Augmented Exhibition" (Fall 2022): participated in exhibition contract negotiations; developed successful marketing strategy; obtained media sponsorship with WWL-TV and partnership with Consulate General of France; and facilitated outreach to schools + heritage societies. Visitor totals exceed expectations. "Spanish New Orleans & the Caribbean" exhibition (Fall 2022): developed advertising and marketing strategy + initiated outreach strategy with local, representatives of government of Spain and heritage societies. Visitor totals exceed expectations.Led restructuring of Communications/Marketing Department resulting in gains in visitor totals and public awareness.Plan engagements with high-level business + international leaders.RECOGNITIONSBiz New Orleans "New & Notable" (2022)TALKSPanelist, "Executive Career Paths in Arts Administration", Black Administrators of Opera Symposium, New Orleans (6/2023).The “Coded Gaze” of Generative AI at the Intersection of Gender Equality and Racial Justice", United Nations, 6th Comm'n on the Status of Women, New York (3/2023)."Tourism, Culture, and the Economy in LA", Le Forum Économique: Shaping a Multilingual Economy, NOUS Foundation, Tulane University (1/2023)."What responsibilities do arts organizations have to communities they serve? " New Orleans Opera (9/17/2022).BOARD + COMMUNITY SERVICEVice-Chair, Board of Trustees, American Folklife Center, U.S. Library of CongressBoard of Directors, NOUS FoundationBoard of Directors, S.C. Aquarium

Charleston, South Carolna

Provide advice and strategic planning services to individuals, community groups and institutions engaged in documenting and preserving heritage and historic sites.PROJECTS + CLIENTS*Freedom Park, Jacksonville FL: Development of interpretive features for park dedicated to a Gullah Geechee community.*Hasty Point Plantation, Conway SC: Development of interpretive themes for newly acquired rice plantation in Waccamaw Nat'l Wildlife Refuge.*Progressive Club, Johns Island SC: Facilitate board development workshop for iconic Gullah Geechee civil rights and social justice organization.TALKS "Exposing History: Color, Taste and Textiles," St. Augustine (FL) Historical Society (postponed)“I Heard the Angels Singing: Gullah Geechee People of Wadmalaw Island Who Inspired the Music of Porgy & Bess”, Clemson University + College of Charleston (10/4/2021)Juneteenth Panel: Road to Emancipation, U.S. Embassy in Barbados (6/2021)Superintendents Leadership Roundtable, U.S. National Park Service (12/2020)Carolina-Barbados Connection Symposium, Univ. of South Carolina (11/2020)Keynote, National Association of Interpretation, Annual Conference, St. Augustine, FL (11/ 2020)PUBLICATIONS“I Heard the Angels Singing: Listening to the Gullah Geechee People Who Inspired the Music of Porgy & Bess”, The Gershwin Initiative, Univ. of Michigan (July 2021).BOARDS + EXPERT PANELSAdvisory Board, Charles Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora StudiesBoard of Trustees, American Folklife Center, U.S. Library of CongressLibrary of Congress: Archie Green Fellowships Panelist

Charleston, South Carolina Area

Charged with facilitating public understanding of Gullah Geechee history and culture; preserving land, language, and culture; and promoting economic development. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTSPartnered with Charleston School District on $2.4M grant to support cultural competency trainingPublished 2020 Gullah Geechee Heritage Tourism Market Study (national)Released 5-Year Strategic Plan for Preserving Gullah Geechee Land Initiated joint research study with U.S. National Park Service of Geechee history of Cumberland IslandPartnered to launch International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora ConferenceBOARD SERVICEBoard of Trustees, U.S. Library of Congress: The American Folklife Center -- term ends 2023Board of Directors, SC Aquarium (Executive, Conservation + DEI Committees) -- term ends 2022Advisory Board, Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora StudiesADVISORY BOARDSNational Endowment for the Arts: National Heritage Fellowships Panelist (FY 2020)National Council on the Traditional Arts: "Living Traditions" Working Group (current)SouthArts (Regional Taskforce)Edisto Island MuseumSELECTED TALKSModerator, "Building From the Source: Traditional Artists Respond to the Moment", presented by Alliance for California Traditional Arts (2020)."Using Heritage Tourism Partnerships to Reach Audiences", Southeastern Museum Conference, Charleston SC (2019)."Gullah Geechee Foodways: Migrations", ASALH National Conference, Charleston SC (2019)MEDIA INTERVIEWS"List says "Gullah Geechee "transforming" future of travel", (Charleston Post & Courier 11/22/20)"Black Travelers Want Travel Industry to Stop Taking Them for Granted", Boston Globe (9/10/20)"Gullah Artists from SC Reclaim Their Identity", Charleston Post & Courier (2/16/20)"New Year's Tradition Overlooked by Scholars", Charleston Post & Courier (12/25/2018)"About That Song You’ve Heard, Kumbaya", New York Times (2/8/2018)

Charleston, South Carolina Area

Washington, United States

Provide strategic advice and workshop training on community engagement, partnership building and cultural competency. Consulting projects included facilitating community listening sessions for a Michigan legal services provider and assisting with strategic planning around community engagement; delivering cultural competency training for pro bono attorneys in Washington DC; and advising students at Georgetown Law School on how to prepare for volunteer legal service in New Orleans and Detroit.COMMUNITY LISTENING PROJECTS AND PUBLICATIONSCo-author, "Report on Community Listening Sessions in Southeastern Michigan" (2017)Contributor, "The Community Listening Project: Legal Services Needs in Washington DC" (2016)PRESENTATIONS"Embedding Legal Services in Public Libraries", Public Libraries Association (2017)"Using Community Collaborations to Build Program", National Head Start Association (2017)"Building Legal Literacy", National Legal Aid and Defender Conference (2014)"Forging Community-Based Partnerships tp Remove Barriers to Employment", National Legal Aid and Defender Conference (2014)"

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Designed all operational controls, training materials, and administrative processes used to coordinate pro bono legal work. Value of pro bono services donated to firm exceeded $230K in 2016. Other successes include partnership with D.C. Public Library that won over $585K in grants and designing "Serving those Who Served", a veterans pro bono opportunity. Developed community partnerships to create points of access to low-income client community and opportunities for pro bono service. RECOGNITION AND MEDIA MENTIONS"An Under-Reported Crime -- Battling Fraudsters By Reporting Fraud", Louisiana Weekly (5/1/2017)2016 Pro Bono Innovation Grant: awarded $386,825 by Legal Services Corporation for "Unlocking Employment"pro bono program (October 2016)Urban Libraries Council: NLSP's partnership with D.C. Public Library recognized as innovative racial and social justice program. (October 2016)UPCOMING AND RECENT PRESENTATIONS "Embedding Legal Services In Public Libraries", Public Library Association (May 2018)Keynote Speaker, "Joint National Black and Hispanic Pre-Law Conference 2017", New York Law School, ( Nov. 2017)."Navigating D.C.'s Civil Legal Aid System with Mental Health Challenges", Hillcrest Children and Family Services (Apr. 10, 2017)"Partnering to Remove Barriers to Lawyers for DC's Seniors: Friction Points + Opportunities", D.C. Office on Aging Citywide Meeting (Apr. 5, 2017)"Understanding the Civil Legal Aid System in DC", D.C. Public Library Staff Training (Apr. 2016)"Constitutional Right to Counsel in Civil Cases", Georgetown Law School (Mar. 2016)"Building Legal Literacy", National Legal Aid + Defender (NLADA) Conference (2014)"Forging Community Partnerships to Remove Barriers to Employment", NLADA Conference (2014)"The LSC Private Attorney Involvement Regulation and Beyond", NLADA: Litigation and Advocacy Directors Conference (2014)Legal Services Corporation’s Forum on Increasing Access to Justice, The White House (2013)

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Recipient of a 2010-2011 Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship from Georgetown Law School which is awarded to public interest lawyers who are committed to advancing women's rights throughout their careers. Fellowship research focused on barriers to access to justice for women in Central America.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Senior litigation attorney with substantial case management responsibilities that included drafting dispositive motions, developing discovery strategies, developing expert witness testimony, negotiation of settlements and representing clients in trial court and appellate proceedings. Published multiple articles on product liability law and use of scientific expert testimony. Maintained active pro bono practice focused on human rights, immigration and affordable housing matters.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Served for over six years as a member of the litigation team acting as national coordinating counsel for a pharmaceutical company defendant in the In re Diet Drugs Products Liability Litigation. Extensive pro bono practice focused on asylum and international human rights representations in affiliation with organizations such as Whitman-Walker Clinic, D.C. Employment Justice Center, and CAIR Coalition.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Summer legal intern in firm's Summer Associate program.

New York, New York

Summer legal intern in firm's Summer Associate program.

Doctor Of Law - Jd

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Communication And Media Studies

Women'S Law And Public Policy Fellow

Graduate Studies At Annenberg School For Communications, Mass Communication/Media Studies