Plant City History & Photo Archives President Ed Verner announced today that its board of directors had unanimously selected Elizabeth ‘Libby’ Hopkins to serve as the new director. Hopkins, who has worked for the archives as its community outreach manager since July 2024, will begin immediately and fill the position vacated by David Moon’s resignation.
Current interim Director Gil Gott will continue in a senior position as director emeritus for a brief probationary period, after which he will retire again and assume a position on the board and serve as the historian and as a member of the Writers in Residence Program.
Hopkins previously served as executive director of the Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, is a journalism/mass communications graduate of the University of South Florida and has written for the Osprey Observer, In The Field Magazine and the Plant City Observer.
Hopkins has earned praise from board members for her outreach abilities demonstrated in a variety of events gathering publicity and local support. Having recently completed a grant writing program, Hopkins has also been tasked with writing grant applications, organizing membership and annual appeal campaigns and partnering with the Arts Council of Plant City, the Improvement League and the Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the American Association for State and Local History as well as the Florida Society of Archivists.
Other staff members working with Hopkins include Tammy Surratt, office manager, and Michelle Tolison, communications specialist. The Plant City History & Photo Archives’ operations require volunteer support and welcomes volunteers in scanning, research and filing tasks. The archives also welcomes photographers or interested history buffs to donate current or any interesting photographs.
For more information, call 813-754-1578, check out its website at www.plantcityphotoarchives.org or visit the Plant City History & Photo Archives at 106 S. Evers St. in historic downtown Plant City.
