Emory S. Campbell - Chairperson

Emory Shaw Campbell is Executive Director Emeritus of Penn Center, located on St. Helena Island, SC. During his twenty-two year tenure, he engaged diverse groups in applying methods of preserving and enhancing the unique and rich Gullah cultural and environmental heritage in the Sea Islands. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Savannah State College in 1965 and a MS in Environmental Engineering from Tufts University in Boston in 1971.

Mr. Campbell has appeared in many documentaries, news magazines, films and radio and television programs, including 60 Minutes; The Today Show; a PBS special, Family Across the Sea; as well as on C-Span’s Washington Journal. His honors include the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation (1999) and the Carter G. Woodson award for Civil Rights (2005). He was inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame (1999), and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Bank Street College, N.Y. in 2000. He authored the guide Book “Gullah Cultural Legacies” in 2005.

Mr. Campbell is currently President of Gullah Heritage Consulting Service that conducts institutes on Gullah Cultural heritage and related issues through lectures, short courses and the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours on Hilton Head Island.  

Mayor Eulis A. Willis - Vice Chairperson

Since 1999, Eulis A. Willis has served as Mayor of the town of Navassa in North Carolina. Previously, Mayor Willis served as Town Councilman and as Mayor pro-tem. He is also currently Treasurer of the Southeastern Black Mayors Association. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from North Carolina A&T State University in 1971.

Over the past twenty-five years, Mayor Willis has dedicated his time to numerous community groups, including the Navassa Volunteer Fire Department, the Leland Middle School, the Brunswick County Board of Social Services and the Brunswick County Hospital. In addition, he is a volunteer coach with numerous youth organizations. Mayor Willis is also the author of Navassa-The Town and its People, a text published in 1993.

Jeanne Cyriaque - Secretary

Jeanne Cyriaque is the African American Programs Coordinator for the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. She is the staff liaison to the Steering Committee of the Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN) and is the editor of Reflections, a quarterly publication that raises awareness of the contributions of African Americans to the built and cultural history of Georgia. Jeanne Cyriaque published several articles about Gullah/Geechee culture in Reflections. The American Association for State and Local History awarded Reflections a Leadership in History Award.

Ms. Cyriaque plans conferences and workshops for GAAHPN and provides technical assistance to African American preservation initiatives throughout Georgia. The National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers recognized African American programs in Georgia’s state historic preservation office with an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award. She is a contributing writer in the African American Heritage Guide for Georgia. The Tourism Foundation of the Georgia Department of Economic Development produced the guide that was published by Atlanta Magazine. It is currently available for heritage travelers at welcome/visitors centers throughout Georgia. Jeanne Cyriaque completed her bachelor’s degree at Bradley University, and holds a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Illinois.

Ralph Johnson - Treasurer

Ralph Johnson is a Professor at the Florida Atlantic University (FAU), School of Architecture and Director, FAU Center for the Conservation of Architectural and Cultural Heritage. He was the former director of the FAU Center for Urban Redevelopment and Education. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Howard University, a Master’s degree in City Planning and a Master’s degree in Architecture, both from Yale University.

Prior to FAU, Professor Johnson was the Assistant Dean of the University of Florida, College of Architecture, Director of the College’s Research and Education Center for Historic Preservation and liaison to the College's Preservation Institute: Nantucket (PI: N) and the Preservation Institute: Caribbean (PI: C). During his tenure there he was selected by United States ICOMOS to study Architectural Conservation at the International Center for the Restoration of Monuments (ICROM) in Rome, Italy. Professor Johnson serves on numerous preservation boards of directors including Trustee Emeritus, Florida Trust for Historic Preservation; the African American Preservation Alliance; historic Bonnet House and Gardens, Fort Lauderdale; Expanding and Preserving Our Cultural Heritage, the S. D. Spady Museum and Cultural Center in Delray Beach; the 1000 Friends of Florida, Inc; and, the Smart Growth Partnership of South Florida.

Michael Allen - National Park Service Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Coordinator

Michael Allen began his public career as a Cooperative Education Student with the National Park Service in 1980. Mr. Allen has served as a Park Ranger and is now the Community Partnership Specialist for Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. He played a major role in the National Park Service's Gullah-Geechee Special Resource Study, which examined the feasibility and suitability of establishing educational centers along the southeast coast as well as determining ways to increase interpretation and preservation of the Gullah/Geechee culture and history.

In October 2007, Mr. Allen was instrumental in the establishment of the Gullah Geechee Heritage Commission. He provided inspiration and guidance to ensure that the nine year journey became a reality. He continues to provide hope, opportunity and support to grass root organizations in the wider Gullah Geechee Community. Finally Michael’s motto is, “to understand the present and move toward the future, you must first know and accept your past.”