Melungeon Historical Society Elections

The newly elected Melungeon Historical Society officer for the year beginning May 1, 2010 are:

Jack Goins, President
Penny Ferguson, Vice-President for Research
Dr. Jill Florence Lackey, Vice-President for Heritage
Becky Nelson, Secretary/Treasurer

Also, Connie Barber and David Gibson were elected to one-year terms as as at-large members of the MHS Board of Directors.

While other officers were re-elected to their positions, this is the first time Dr. Lackey has served as an MHS officer.

Dr. Lackey holds a doctorate degree in cultural anthropology. She recently retired from teaching anthropology and research methods at Marquette University. In addition to teaching, Dr. Lackey has founded and directed three organizations. The first, Repairers of the Breach, is a homeless self-help agency that today serves over 200 homeless individuals a day. The second, Jill Florence Lackey & Associates, is a research agency that conducted over 60 program evaluations and studies. One of the JFL projects was to create a curriculum on research methodology for the Centers for Disease Control that could be used by CDC scholars (this is online under the name of Delve!). The third organization, Urban Anthropology Inc., studies city cultures in Southeast Wisconsin and from these produces ethnic programs, documentaries, and tours.

Dr. Lackey is the author of The Culture of the Paper Program and over 20 peer reviewed articles. Her upcoming book is Ethnicity in the 21st Century. Dr. Lackey has also produced, directed, and edited 15 documentaries on Southeast Wisconsin ethnic groups.

Dr. Lackey has a group of family ties to East Tennessee (Hawkins/Hancock Counties and adjoining counties). These include the Alexanders, Lackeys, Cates, and Binghams. Her Moore and Cates lines were also in Melungeon progenitor areas of Orange Co., North Carolina in the mid-1700s.