Opening Plenary: Building a Sustainable and Relevant Future - Next Practices: Discussions on the Future of Interpretation

Though Melissa Prycer’s career began with a deep love of history, her work has expanded to a passion for building sustainability at nonprofits of all types and sizes. Originally hired as the Program Manager at Dallas Heritage Village, Melissa became Executive Director in 2014, after doing a little bit of everything. Melissa launched Prycer Consulting in 2021, focusing on strategic planning, fundraising, and historical services. She has guided small history museums in developing their first strategic plan, set up fundraising systems at institutions of all sizes, refined and developed key policies and procedures, and guided organizations through significant change. Clients include Readers 2 Leaders, Manassas Museum System, the National Park Service, the Dallas Jewish Historical Society, and others. Melissa is active in several professional organizations, especially the American Association for State and Local History. She has published articles and spoken on local history, women’s history, and museums throughout the country. She currently resides in Dallas, TX.

Nicole A. Moore is a public historian and consultant with over a decade of museum experience. Her passion has been helping historic sites and museums strengthen their interpretation of the enslaved through workshops and training sessions, interpretive planning, and exhibition review. In her current role, Nicole serves as the Director of Education at the National Center for Civil Rights in Atlanta,  leading a multi-year expansion of educational content developed by and for The Center.  Engaging audiences  that range from K-12, to Fortune 500 C-suite executives and professional sports teams, Nicole urges groups to seek ways to protect the civil and human rights of all. Her publications include chapters for Interpreting Slavery and Interpreting the Civil War for Museums and Historic Sites, as well as Radical Roots: Public History and a Tradition of Social Justice Activism. A proud Charlotte 49er, Nicole received her BA in Psychology, and MA in History with a concentration in Public History from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.