Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston
a part of Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum, Inc.
Archaeology, Education and Preservation

Leadership

We have a very clear vision and mission to help preserve, educate and discover the history of Freedmen’s Town (formerly known as R.B.H.Y. Museum)

Founders

Olee Yates McCullough, M.A., Grand Founder
Honorable Francis Farenthold, Co-Founder
Catherine Roberts, Co-Founder
Amilcar Shabazz, Ph.D, Co-Founder
Demetria Shabazz, Ph.D, Co-Founder
Clare Fleming Sprunt, Co-Founder

Board of Directors

Byron Cobbin
Chair - President - Emeritus

Alfred Henson Ph.D
First Vice Chair

Sarah Trotty Ph.D.
Second Vice Chair - Emeritus

Catherine Roberts
Co-Founder

Arts; Business; Historic Preservation; Past Chair L.I.E- Institute of International Education Fulbright and Business for Russia Programs; ICSEP-International Center Solution of Environmental Problems; Past Pres. Other Directions for Conflict Resolution;
Amigos de las Amigos; Educ. Cleveland Art Institute, U. Arizona, SACI-Firenze Italia

Byron Cobbin MPA MEd
Chairman

Byron Cobbin is a native Houstonian who has been passionate about the preservation of Freedmen’s Town- Fourth Ward and its historical relevance as one of the earliest post slavery African American communities in the greater Houston area since the late 1990’s. This is his second term as chairman. He currently serves as a career and technology educator and founder of his own non-profit. He is noted for creating and building relationships among private sector companies, public sector organizations, and individuals that meet every day societal concerns. Byron is a graduate of Fisk University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. He also holds a Master of Public Administration degree in public policy from Texas Southern University and a Masters of Education degree in educational leadership from University of Houston. He is married and has one son.

Kristan Crapps CPA MBA
First Vice Chair

Kristan Crapps, Senior Advisor to the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer in Chevron’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Ombuds (DIO) Center of Excellence, is responsible for advising Chevron’s CDIO on critical business issues, managing action items for the DIO team, and collaborating with leaders and employees at all levels in the organization. Kristan also manages Chevron’s global employee network (resource groups) program, with memberships of over 17,000 employees across twelve networks globally. Other diversity and inclusion initiatives under Kristan’s leadership include governing Chevron’s Racial Equity Strategy, executing Chevron’s Diversity & Inclusion Awards Program, directing the Camp Chevron summer enrichment program, facilitating the triannual Chairman’s Inclusion Council meetings, and managing social investment partnerships aligned with employee networks. Kristan is active with Houston Black Leadership Institute, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, NABA Houston Advisory Council and is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Incorporated. Kristan is the wife of William and mother of Chatman and Hamilton.

Kathy Ploch CPA
Treasurer-Emeritus

Carolyn Mcdonald-Burnley
Director

Dr. Theo Herrington
Immediate Past Chair & President - Emeritus

Dr Sarah Trotty.
Second Vice Chair

Sarah A. Trotty, PhD is a Retired Associate Professor of Art at Texas Southern University, where she served for over thirty-one years. Sarah earned a Bachelor of Art Education from the University of Houston in 1968, a Master of Education degree, specializing in Art from Texas Southern University in 1974, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Art Education from Purdue University in 1977. She has served over twenty-three years on the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum Board, which protects the material culture of Houston’s historical Freedman Town’s community, its architecture, and its artifacts. She continues to actively serve with RBHY, currently as its First Vice-President, while participating on several committees. Sarah formerly served on the DAWN board, a cultural organization which conducts research, produces digital records and narratives, and promotes the cultural education and oral histories of Houston’s Third Ward residents.

Sarah believes that the greatest gifts of mankind are those of shared knowledge and encouragement and that knowledge comes from study, investigation and experimentation, which are requirements of creativity and invention, central to success among all people of any age. Her motto is “Keep trying; It is never too late to find your purpose.”

Carolyn Mcdonald-Burnley
Secretary
During her career at Shell, Carolyn Burnley performed a variety of assignments which included chemical manufacturing, product development, evaluation, testing and quality assurance. In these roles, she was active developing products, delivering, and managing information to various audiences and customers. She utilizes these same skills to support the preservation and restoration efforts of the Rutherford B.H. Yates Inc in Freedmen’s Town and other nonprofits. Carolyn pursued undergraduate studies in Biology/Chemistry at the University of Houston. When she’s not traveling with her husband, she spends her free time with her family and friends.
Kathy Ploch CPA
Treasurer
Kathy Ploch is a CPA and Tax Manager at Durio & Korpal, P. C. She has been in public accounting preparing all types of taxes for over 38 years. She has been the President of TALA, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts and has been a volunteer since 1999. She was the Houston CPA Society’s President in 2009-2010 and is on the Circular 230 Practitioners Roundtable, Membership Development, and Tax Expo Committees. Kathy serves on the Texas State Society of CPAs Board of Directors, Federal Tax Policy Committee, and is Chair of the Relations with IRS Committee. She is currently an Associate Member of the AICPA’s Exempt Organization Technical Resource Panel.

Catherine Roberts
Co-Founder-Emeritus

LaTrease Price-Gistard
Recording Secretary

Kristan Crapps CPA MBA
Director

Atty Margaret Boulware
Meg Boulware, Managing Partner, Boulware & Valoir
Houston, Texas. Meg is a pioneer in the intellectual property law community on many fronts. To name a few: she tried the first validity and infringement arbitration of a U.S. patent before the International Chamber of Commerce, was the first woman president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, received the first ever Americas Women in Business Law Award for Best in Patent. and founded and fostered one of the earliest and most significant woman-owned boutique law firms in the nation. Meg has litigated over 100 patent and trademark cases in forums and venues across the United States and has prosecuted a significant number of technically and commercially important patents through issuance, including pioneering patents on cloning. In addition to her legal career, Meg serves the creative community as a Trustee of Houston Grand Opera and Board member of the University of Houston Moores School of Music. She also serves on the Board onthe Santa Fe Opera.
Alfred Henson Ph.D
Alfred B. Henson is a native Houstonian who has studied architecture, construction technology, planning, and environmental policy. He attended the University of Houston and Texas Southern University where his coursework led to the achievement of three degrees: a B.S. in Architectural Construction Technology, a Master of City Planning, and a Doctorate in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy. His work experience reflects his academic accolades and has contributed to community service, business ownership, professional consulting, city management, and academia. His acquired education and skills led to inspecting and reconstructing homes for low-income households; managing his own design-construction business; teaching geography and planning courses; constructing and reconstructing church facilities; assisting with an international housing mandate; and assisting with technical writing and geographic information concerning the City of Houston’s application for disaster recovery funding. Throughout his academic studies and his tenure as a GIS Manager at the City of Houston, Alfred has utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) software and applications to solve problems and communicate with geospatial data and analytics. His comprehensive understanding of housing, transportation, infrastructure, and economics aligns well with his use of technology. He is an asset for multiple professions and academic research.
Theophilus Herrington, Ph.D.
Dr. Theophilus Herrington has taught, published, and mentored students in political science and public affairs and administration. He has serves as Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University and President and Chairman of Freedmen’s Town Museums. Currently, he is an active member on academic and community organizations advisory boards.
Carolyn Mcdonald-Burnley

During her career at Shell, Carolyn Burnley performed a variety of assignments which included chemical manufacturing, product development, evaluation, testing, and quality assurance. In these roles, she was active developing products, delivering, and managing information to various audiences and customers. She utilizes the same skills to support the preservation and restoration effort of The Rutherford B.H. Yates, Inc. in Freedmen’s Town and other nonprofits. Carolyn pursued undergraduate studies and Biology/Chemistry at the University of Houston. When she’s not traveling with her husband, she spends her free time with her family and friends.

Crystal Sherrard
Administrator
Debra Blackloc-Sloan
Director of Education and Tours/ Historian

Staff

Debra Blacklock-Sloan
Director of Education and Tours/ Historian

Xavier Neal-Carson
Archaeologist and Archivist Manager

Lue Williams
Historian

Freedmen’s Town Museums Houston

Museum visits are by appointment only 713-739-0163 | information.ftm@gmail.com

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Byron Cobbin MPA MEd
Chairman

Byron Cobbin is a native Houstonian who has been passionate about the preservation of Freedmen’s Town- Fourth Ward and its historical relevance as one of the earliest post slavery African American communities in the greater Houston area since the late 1990’s. This is his second term as chairman. He currently serves as a career and technology educator and founder of his own non-profit. He is noted for creating and building relationships among private sector companies, public sector organizations, and individuals that meet every day societal concerns. Byron is a graduate of Fisk University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. He also holds a Master of Public Administration degree in public policy from Texas Southern University and a Masters of Education degree in educational leadership from University of Houston. He is married and has one son.

Alfred Henson Ph.D

Alfred B. Henson is a native Houstonian who has studied architecture, construction technology, planning, and environmental policy. He attended the University of Houston and Texas Southern University where his coursework led to the achievement of three degrees: a B.S. in Architectural Construction Technology, a Master of City Planning, and a Doctorate in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy. His work experience reflects his academic accolades and has contributed to community service, business ownership, professional consulting, city management, and academia. His acquired education and skills led to inspecting and reconstructing homes for low-income households; managing his own design-construction business; teaching geography and planning courses; constructing and reconstructing church facilities; assisting with an international housing mandate; and assisting with technical writing and geographic information concerning the City of Houston’s application for disaster recovery funding. Throughout his academic studies and his tenure as a GIS Manager at the City of Houston, Alfred has utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) software and applications to solve problems and communicate with geospatial data and analytics. His comprehensive understanding of housing, transportation, infrastructure, and economics aligns well with his use of technology. He is an asset for multiple professions and academic research.

Sarah Trotty Ph.D.
Second Vice Chair

Sarah A. Trotty, PhD is a Retired Associate Professor of Art at Texas Southern University, where she served for over thirty-one years. Sarah earned a Bachelor of Art Education from the University of Houston in 1968, a Master of Education degree, specializing in Art from Texas Southern University in 1974, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Art Education from Purdue University in 1977. She has served over twenty-three years on the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum Board, which protects the material culture of Houston’s historical Freedman Town’s community, its architecture, and its artifacts. She continues to actively serve with RBHY, currently as its First Vice-President, while participating on several committees. Sarah formerly served on the DAWN board, a cultural organization which conducts research, produces digital records and narratives, and promotes the cultural education and oral histories of Houston’s Third Ward residents.

Sarah believes that the greatest gifts of mankind are those of shared knowledge and encouragement and that knowledge comes from study, investigation and experimentation, which are requirements of creativity and invention, central to success among all people of any age. Her motto is “Keep trying; It is never too late to find your purpose.”

Kathy Ploch CPA
Treasurer

Kathy Ploch is a CPA and Tax Manager at Durio & Korpal, P. C. She has been in public accounting preparing all types of taxes for over 38 years. She has been the President of TALA, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts and has been a volunteer since 1999. She was the Houston CPA Society’s President in 2009-2010 and is on the Circular 230 Practitioners Roundtable, Membership Development, and Tax Expo Committees. Kathy serves on the Texas State Society of CPAs Board of Directors, Federal Tax Policy Committee, and is Chair of the Relations with IRS Committee. She is currently an Associate Member of the AICPA’s Exempt Organization Technical Resource Panel.

Carolyn Mcdonald-Burnley

During her career at Shell, Carolyn Burnley performed a variety of assignments which included chemical manufacturing, product development, evaluation, testing, and quality assurance. In these roles, she was active developing products, delivering, and managing information to various audiences and customers. She utilizes the same skills to support the preservation and restoration efforts of the Rutherford B.H. Yates, Inc. in Freedmen’s Town and other nonprofits. Carolyn pursued undergraduate studies and Biology/Chemistry at the University of Of Houston. When she’s not traveling with her husband, she spends her free time with her family and friends.

Theophilus Herrington, Ph.D.

Dr. Theophilus Herrington has taught, published, and mentored students in political science and public affairs, and administration. He has served as Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University and President and Chairman of Freedmen’s Town Museums. Currently, he is an active member on academic and community organizations advisory boards.

Catherine Roberts
Co-Founder

Arts; Business; Historic Preservation; Past Chair L.I.E- Institute of International Education Fulbright and Business for Russia Programs; ICSEP-International Center Solution of Environmental Problems; Past Pres. Other Directions for Conflict Resolution; Amigos de las Amigos; Educ. Cleveland Art Institute, U. Arizona, SACI-Firenze Italia

Kristan Crapps CPA MBA
First Vice Chair

Kristan Crapps, Senior Advisor to the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer in Chevron’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Ombuds (DIO) Center of Excellence, is responsible for advising Chevron’s CDIO on critical business issues, managing action items for the DIO team, and collaborating with leaders and employees at all levels in the organization. Kristan also manages Chevron’s global employee network (resource groups) program, with memberships of over 17,000 employees across twelve networks globally. Other diversity and inclusion initiatives under Kristan’s leadership include governing Chevron’s Racial Equity Strategy, executing Chevron’s Diversity & Inclusion Awards Program, directing the Camp Chevron summer enrichment program, facilitating the triannual Chairman’s Inclusion Council meetings, and managing social investment partnerships aligned with employee networks. Kristan is active with Houston Black Leadership Institute, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, NABA Houston Advisory Council and is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Rutherford B. H. Yates Museum, Incorporated. Kristan is the wife of William and mother of Chatman and Hamilton.