Terri White has a lot to celebrate. A self-professed museum junkie, she says she has achieved dream job status: CEO and president of the Charlotte Museum of History, a position she assumed in 2022.
She was well-experienced, having previously served in leadership roles at the Heinz History Center, the Carnegie Science Center and the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. White moved to Charlotte in 2019, right after finishing an MBA at the University of Pittsburgh, for a technology job. But when the opportunity to re-enter the museum world appeared, she couldn’t say no.
She’s also a busy student, working on a Doctorate in Business Administration in the Belk College of Business. Her area of research focus is on the economic impact of diversity, equity and inclusion in the American distilled spirits industry. Her interest comes from her family’s history in bootlegging and her research to launch her own venture, Sugar Top Spirit & Beverage Co., a distillery for a citrus-forward, American-style gin.
Here, White shares how she is focused on shaping her future and the city’s by connecting with the past.
Cheers to that!