Executive Director Claudia Oakes
Ms. Oakes has thirty-six years experience in the museum field, including twenty-one years experience with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. While at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, Oakes managed the development of major exhibit galleries with expenditures between one and five million dollars.
Ms. Oakes’s position prior to joining Chieftains was Chief Operating Officer of the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. As Chief Operating Officer, she was responsible for all administrative activities, educational programs and curatorial collections programs and development.
In addition to her work in museums, Oakes served a three year at large term as a Board Member of the American Association of Museums. During this tenure, she also served a one year term as a Vice Chairman of the Board of the American Association of Museums.
As Director of Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home, Oakes is responsible for exhibit development, curatorial practices, administrative functions and will serve on the Development Committee.
A native of Pulaski, Tennessee, she is a graduate of Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts in French; George Washington University, Washington, D. C. with a Master of Public Administration, and the Museum Management Institute, Berkeley, California.
Programs Manager Debby Brown
Debby has been on the Museum’s staff since 2000. She is in charge of school field trips, tours, exhibits and the museum store, as well as special events programming and implementation. Before coming to Chieftains, she was a volunteer art teacher at St. Mary’s School and prior to that, Debbie worked for two years at the Rome Area History Museum as Assistant Director. While there, she did programming for school groups, oversaw the museum store, did tours, and created several exhibits.
She is a Lifetime Member at the Rome Little Theatre where she was on the RLT Board for over 10 years. While there she did many of the production sets, produced over 15 plays, was VP of Membership and VP of Production. Debbie won Producer of the Year, and created Reel Trees, a fundraising event for the restoration of the foyer of the theater.
She was the founder of the Sunshine Theater and Art Camp, a summer theater and art camp for children that was held first at St. Marys School and then the Rome Little Theatre for five years.
Debby is a member of the Seven Hills Tellers, a local storytelling group. She has participated in Hallowed Hauntings for 13 years and been one of the storytellers with Haunted on Broad for the last 4 years.
Archaeological Projects Manager Dave Davis
Dave serves the museum through archaeological exhibits and archaeological programming. Dave continues to provide assistance to the public regarding Rome’s rich prehistoric past. His most recent project was the analysis, cataloging, and curation of the 1969-1971 Chieftains archaeological collections. A graduate of the University of West Georgia, Dave has previously worked for the USDA Forest Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Historic Preservation Division.
