STAFF

Collier Neeley has a lifelong passion for history. This was something that was largely influenced by his grandmother, Mary Ann Neeley, a prominent historian in Montgomery, Alabama, Collier’s hometown. He found historic preservation while in college at Ole Miss, where he graduated in 2013 with a BA in history. In 2015 he received a master’s in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State. Collier worked as the Preservation Specialist at Historic Oakland Cemetery from 2013 to 2016, when he moved on to be the National Register Coordinator for the Alabama Historical Commission in 2016. After several years at the AHC, Collier became the Executive Director at the Landmarks Foundation in September of 2019 and enjoyed six years working with an experienced staff at Old Alabama Town, Landmark’s outdoor history museum. In his time at Landmarks, Collier also helped start Main Street Montgomery, and pushed several other development initiatives while building collaborative partnerships across the city. Collier has also served as a long time board member for Your Town Alabama, a place based, community planning nonprofit. He specializes in Community Preservation, fundraising, and Community Development through placemaking.

Collier enjoys playing golf, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with family and friends.

Kathy’s career in the nonprofit sector began as an environmental educator for a raptor rehabilitation center in Fort Collins, Colorado. Although her passion for teaching lingered, she was determined to understand the business side of nonprofit management, particularly finance and accounting. Throughout her career, she’s been involved in various capacities, from volunteer to board member, with more than a dozen organizations. She attained much of her early practical experience while working for the Colorado Horse Rescue where she developed and standardized the accounting procedures. While studying for her MBA, she worked as an Accounting Specialist for a retail corporation streamlining their deposit reporting process to expedite the recovery of missing funds. After completing her MBA, she worked for Denver Bike Sharing managing their finances and business affairs. Most recently, Kathy worked for an accounting firm which provides services to nonprofit organizations. Along with government grant budgeting and expenditure reporting, Kathy managed the finances for several clients including social services organizations, an art center, and an appellate defender.

An avid history lover, Kathy enjoys exploring vintage markets, museums, and historical landmarks. Excited to collaborate with her new colleagues in furthering HSF’s mission, Kathy’s focus is securing financial health through diversifying revenue sources and harnessing technology to streamline accounting processes.

Laura grew up in Southern Indiana in a community where Abraham Lincoln spent his youth and where his mother was laid to rest in the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial—history was everywhere! Her parents introduced her to Savannah during multiple childhood trips to the Southeast coast, where Laura carried the tradition with her own daughter as she grew up. Childhood friends still remember her goal of one day living in Savannah.

She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science, moved to Chicago, and began her career in hospitality and meeting planning. She became a successful entrepreneur, building a lifestyle company that provided the opportunity to work for Oprah. Yes, that Oprah! A turn of circumstance brought her back to Indiana where she worked with the Indiana State Museum and Historic sites, as well as the International Center in Indianapolis. Both were development roles.

Throughout her philanthropic career, she has helped organizations develop a multi-level fundraising strategy, with ongoing stories and telling them with passion and conviction, data management, community engagement and ensuring the ease of donor giving.

In 2020, Laura moved from Indianapolis to Savannah to work with the American Red Cross. She was responsible for raising local funds to support local Red Cross services across the Southeast and East Central Georgia chapters. She was able to increase giving by 300% by year two. At four years, she continued to grow the market with increased revenue and community partners, setting the region up for ongoing success.

Laura lives on the “islands” with her two cats and pup;  her daughter, Hannah Jayne, lives in Indiana. Laura is big Allman Brothers fan, really, she loves most live music; she volunteers at Farm-Aid and the Savannah Music Festival; you may even run into her at a murder mystery event where she is part of the cast!

Before joining HSF, Johnson served as a Preservation Associate for the Historic Districts Council in New York City, where she evaluated proposals to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. She also worked as a Research Associate at the NY Landmarks Conservancy, where she assisted with the future nomination of two Staten Island, N.Y. churches for the National Register of Historic Places. While serving as a Research Intern at Save Harlem Now, she conducted vital research focused on creating a new historic district in Harlem, N.Y.

Earlier in her career, Johnson worked as an artisan at OPUS Architectural Arts in New York, where she contributed to the restoration of several city landmarks and drew upon skills learned during a stone masonry apprenticeship with Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, N.Y. Always committed to advancing her hand skills, she is a certified Jahn Cathedral Stone Installer, and she recently participated in a hands-on Adobe Building Workshop at a Bio-Architecture Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as well as an Adobe Preservation Workshop in Mesilla, N.M.

Originally from Sherman, Texas, Johnson earned a M.S. in Historic Preservation from the Pratt Institute and a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. An accomplished researcher, she was honored as one of the Preservation League of New York State’s 2023 Zabar Scholars and earned a first-place award at the 2025 New Jersey History and Historic Preservation Conference as well as the Applied Research Award at the 2025 Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment. She recently relocated to Savannah’s Victorian District from New York City.

Kendall Graham is delighted to be joining the team at Historic Savannah Foundation as the Education & Research Associate. Kendall came to Savannah from the Asheville, NC area and has called Savannah home for nearly five years. She holds a Master’s in Preservation Studies from Tulane University, and double majored in History and English Literature at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kendall has extensive experience working in museums and non-profits. She most recently served as Communications & Development Coordinator at Coastal Heritage Society, and prior to that served in Membership and Special Events roles with CHS. Additionally, Kendall is well-versed in educational programming and historic house museums, having worked as a Historical Interpreter at Telfair Museums’ Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters. Kendall is passionate about interpreting our past to better understand our present, and loves conducting research to bring the soul of historic buildings to life.

When she is not in the archives, Kendall can be found swimming in the ocean or camping in the mountains, rescuing cats, practicing yoga, and reading Victorian novels.

Danielle Hodes was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Experimental Psychology and Art History, along with a minor in Neuroscience, from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. She also holds a master’s degree in museum studies from New York University.

Danielle embarked on her museum career at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in Upper Manhattan, initially starting as an intern and eventually ascending to the position of Director of Education and Public Programs. During her tenure at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, she dedicated over three years to producing a wide range of public programs ranging from discussions on post-9/11 national security and geopolitics to artistic performances.

Subsequently, Danielle took on the role of Senior Program Producer at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, where she was responsible for orchestrating large-scale public programs, including the Smithsonian’s annual Food History Weekend. She also served as co-lead for the Smithsonian’s 20th-anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Danielle serves as a consultant with the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz where she focuses on identifying the training and support needs of museums and cultural institutions engaging with traumatic content in service of their communities.

Before assuming her current position as Executive Director of the Davenport House, Danielle served as the Senior Program Manager of Public Programs and Interpretation at the Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site.

Originally from Richmond, VA, Jeff has been at the Davenport House Museum since 2006. After a four year stint in the U.S. Army and a 15 year career in the technology field, Jeff decided to follow his passion for history and pursue a career as a museum professional. He holds a BA in History from University of Maryland University College.

Originally from Greenwood, Indiana, Charles Mack is excited to join our team as the Visitor Services and Operations Manager at the Davenport House Museum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Creative Advertising from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Relocating to Savanah alongside his partner in 2022, Charles has been avidly integrating himself amongst the vibrant local art community as both an art enthusiast and a multi-disciplinary artist. His work has been shown in galleries across town including Sulfur Studios, Gallery 2424, and Bululu Studios. In 2024, he was the Incubator Artist in Residency for local non-profit ARTS Southeast where he continued to develop his focus in cognitive learning, new media, and printmaking.

Charles’ coursework for museums locally began in 2023 where he was an Interpretive Guide for Telfair Museums, responsible for conducting research and communicating traveling and permanent collection exhibits to visitors of Savannah from across the world.

Charles advocates for pursuing the life of a hobbyist in his spare time. If he’s not spending time with his partner Ivy or their two cats, you can find him outside playing disc golf, listening to music, or playing board games with friends.

Angela Kimball earned her Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Wheaton College and has worked in many business development, management and sales roles. She has also been a small business owner and is familiar with all the facets of running an operation, from employee relations to health insurance, payroll and IT.

With over ten years of experience as an elementary school teacher in Illinois, South Carolina, and Georgia, Stephanie has developed a strong foundation in creating engaging, student-centered environments. Prior to joining the Davenport House team, she taught the STEAM Lab program at Heard Elementary School, where the focus was on integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to foster critical thinking and creativity in students.

Now, as the Education and Programs Assistant at the Davenport House Museum, Stephanie is thrilled to apply skills and experiences gained in the classroom to a new setting. She is excited to engage with students and families, creating educational experiences that bring history to life and deepen the community’s connection to Savannah’s rich past.

Stephanie is eager to continue her journey in education and outreach, building upon a lifelong passion for learning, teaching, and sharing the stories that shape our world.

Gregory J. M. Brogan recently completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architectural History at the Savannah College of Art and Design. His BFA thesis examined the work undertaken during the Kennedy administration at the White House by Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, Mrs. Rachel “Bunny” Lambert Mellon, and Mrs. Jayne Kirkman Wrightsman.

Brogan was raised in Crozet, Virginia, in the county outside Charlottesville, and graduated from Western Albemarle High School before enrolling at SCAD as an Interior Design student. Over the course of his studies, he found himself pulled away from the practice of space-making and toward its history and theory, first into Art History and ultimately into Architectural History, a discipline that allowed him to bring a lifelong interest in furniture and the built environment into an academic world.

Growing up in Albemarle County, surrounded by the distinguished local architecture and the Blue Ridge Mountains, Brogan cultivated an early passion for cooking and gardening, tending the gardens of his family’s house, work that left him with a lasting appreciation for the labor concealed behind environments that appear effortlessly self-sustaining. That same sensitivity to place and material has shaped his continuing pursuit of exceptional food and design.

Professionally, Brogan has worked for several notable retailers, including Banana Republic, where he sharpened his eye for quality materials and craftsmanship. He later freelanced as a visual merchandiser in Savannah before joining the Davenport House Museum, where he is shop manager and buyer.