A dedicated governing board and organizational staff oversee Galveston Historical Foundation. GHF board and staff oversee everything from long-range foundational planning to day-to-day operations. View our complete list of current GHF board and staff below.
2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President – Clay Rogers
Vice-President – Tiffany Vaiani
Secretary – Dwayne Jones
Treasurer – Melissa Hernandez
Immediate Past President – Cesar Hernandez
Past President – Joe Willhelm
Past President – James Woolsey
Business Development – Alex Monteith
Galveston Historic Seaport – Jason Tieman
Development & Membership – J.R. Shaw
Preservation Outreach – Ania Mantooth
GHF Events Inc – Bain McEldowney
Cultural/Historic Sites – Alice Gatson
Public Policy – Claire Garza
FOUNDATION STAFF
2002 Strand
Galveston, TX 77550
phone: 409-765-7834
foundation@galvestonhistory.org
ADMINISTRATION
Dwayne Jones
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, 409-765-3422
Jabre Celestine
Director of Information Services, 409-765-3410
Octavio Miranda
Facilities Manager, 409-765-3406
Whitney Kirkland
Manager, Shearn Moody Plaza, 409-765-7675 ext. 103
COMMUNICATION AND EVENTS
Will Wright
Chief Creative Officer, 409-765-3424
Claire Chastain
Manager of Events and Programs, 409-765-3459
Roxanna Gipson
Volunteer Coordinator, 409-765-3427
PRESERVATION SERVICES
Laura Bourgeois
Architectural Projects and Historic Properties Director, 409-765-3429
Jami Durham
Historian – Property Research and Cultural History, 409-765-3453
Nick Barbee
Architectural Salvage Warehouse, 409-765-3457
DEVELOPMENT
Brett Harrington
Chief of Advancement and Planned Giving, 409-765-3458
ACCOUNTING
Shiraz Rajan
Controller/Chief Financial Officer, 409-765-3454
MEMBERSHIP
Julia Muncaster
Director, 409-765-3405
MUSEUMS & MUSEUM PROGRAMS
Denise Alexander
Chief of Museums & External Relations, 409-765-3423
Cameron Dunbar
Director of Retail Services, 409-765-3462
Lauraleigh Gourley
Historic Properties Rentals Manager, 409-765-3402
GALVESTON HISTORIC SEAPORT
Ryan Bradfield
Interim Director – Galveston Historic Seaport, 409-765-3434
Brian Leadingham
Captain, Seagull II, 409-765-3433
Valerie Smith
Programs Manager, 409-765-3432
Museum Store
409-763-1877 ext. 1108
RETAIL
Cameron Dunbar
Director of Retail Services, 409-765-3462
ABOUT GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) was formed as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871 and merged with a new organization formed in 1954 as a non-profit entity devoted to historic preservation and history in Galveston County. Over the last seventy years, GHF has expanded its mission to encompass community redevelopment, historic preservation advocacy, maritime preservation, museum development, and heritage tourism. GHF embraces a broader vision of history and architecture that encompasses advancements in environmental and natural sciences and their intersection with historic buildings and coastal life, and continues to lead on local, state, and national levels with research-driven programs that build awareness of preservation’s role in cultural identity and stewardship across generations.
