I was heartened to hear the news about the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, one of the greatĀ assets of this part of the state.
The news was that Carol Vahue Lovelady had been named interim director of the PPHM. She succeeds, for the time being, another good friend of mine. Cliff Vanderpool has gone on to become director of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth.
I wish Cliff all the very best. And Carol, too.
Lovelady has a long history of philanthropy and civic involvement in the Panhandle. Indeed, she comes to it through her family heritage.
Her dad was Ray Vahue, a former Amarillo mayor. Her mom, Helen made her mark through many civic activities.
The PPHM sits on a street corner at West Texas A&M University and tells a compelling story about the history of this region. It has been in good hands under Vanderpool’s leadership.
I am not in the loop at PPHM, so I don’t know whether Lovelady would be a candidate for the permanent directorship.
I know her well enough, though, to believe the museum — a true treasure for the region — will be in good hands during this interim period while the PPHM board searches for a permanent replacement.
Carol Lovelady’s philanthropic contacts well could be brought to bear on behalf of the PPHM. Not a bad resource to have on hand.