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Every five years, Humanities Texas meets with a representative from our parent organization, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), along with two other evaluators, to discuss our progress and our goals for the future. This year, Edie Manza, director of the Federal/State Partnership at the NEH, Lynn Denton, director of the Public History Program at Texas State University-San Marcos, and Manuel Medrano, professor of history at The University of Texas at Brownsville, met with staff, current and former board members, and Humanities Texas constituents at the Byrne-Reed House on September 20 and 21, 2011.

The site visit team was impressed with the elegant building. During our last self-assessment, in 2006, Humanities Texas had just purchased the building, which was still encased in a stucco shell. The building’s remarkable transformation is evidence of our progress over the past five years.

In addition to meeting with staff and board members, Denton, Manza, and Medrano also spoke with grantees, exhibition renters, educational administrators, scholars, and teachers who have participated in our institute program, which has grown into one of the state’s premier professional development programs since its 2010 expansion.

Humanities Texas would like to thank our site visit team as well as everyone who visited the Byrne-Reed House last week to participate in the self-assessment.

Self-Assessment Team
From left to right: Michael L. Gillette, Edie Manza, Lynn Denton, and Manuel Medrano. All photos on this page by Humanities Texas.
Former board members
Former board members meet with the site visit team in the dining room. In the background is a painting by Texas artist Tom Lea, on loan from the collection of Ann and Bill Kiely. Clockwise from left: Manuel Medrano, Edie Manza, Norma Cantú, Fran Vick, Ellen C. Temple, Joseph R. Krier, JoAnn Christian, Lynn Denton, and Nick Kanellos (back to camera).
Self-Assessment visitors
Clockwise, from top of stairs: Shannon Harris, director of the Museum of the Gulf Coast; Paula Gerstenblatt, coordinator of The Mart Community Project; Sue Soy, development administrator for the Austin Public Library; Jennifer Johnson-Spence, director of the Cooke County Library; Maria Rocha, assistant to Mario Garza; Mario Garza, founder of the Indigenous Cultures Institute; Cristina Ballí, associate director of Texas Folklife; Brook Davis, HTX grants program officer; Eric Lupfer, HTX director of grants and education; Evelyn Montgomery, curator of exhibitions and collections at the Dallas Heritage Village; Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, associate professor of journalism at The University of Texas at Austin; Sue Prudhomme, director of the Museum of the Coastal Bend at Victoria College; and Michael L. Gillette, HTX executive director.
Education staff and constituents
Humanities Texas staff and education constituents. Clockwise, from top of stairs: Julia Aguilar, HTX senior program officer; Joe Ramirez, social studies curriculum supervisor for Austin Independent School District; Erica M. Bsumek, associate professor of history at The University of Texas at Austin; Rachel Hernandez, social studies education specialist for the Education Service Center Region XIII; Susanna R. Hill, HTX development officer; Liz James, HTX coordinator of educational programs; Jim Furgeson, a history teacher at Stephen F. Austin High School who is a past Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award winner; and Eric Lupfer, HTX director of grants and education.
Site Team members and cultural partners
Members of the site team with cultural partners. Clockwise from top of stairs: David Denney, director of public programming at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum; Peggy Rudd, director and librarian of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission; Pat Smith, executive director of the Texas Library Association; Ruth Ann Rugg, executive director of the Texas Association of Museums; Lynn Denton; Manuel Medrano; Stan Graves, director of the Architecture Division of the Texas Historical Commission; Edie Manza; J. Kent Calder, executive director of the Texas State Historical Association; Kerry Ballast, director of special projects in standards and programs at the Texas Education Agency; and Michael L. Gillette, HTX executive director.