News Releases

In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Lunch on Monday, April 20. 

Active volunteers who have worked 20 or more hours in the last year were invited to gather in the Craig H. Neilsen Auditorium of the Two Mississippi Museums. 

The crowd was addressed by outgoing MDAH Director Katie Blount, who said: “We truly depend on and deeply appreciate the contributions of each volunteer.” 

Barry White, who will take Blount’s place officially after her retirement, introduced himself to the volunteers. He noted that volunteers dedicated over 5,000 hours to MDAH this year. 

Human Resources Programs Manager Meredith Kent concluded the luncheon by presenting awards. Twenty-four volunteers received the 2026 Governor’s Award of Merit, which designates volunteers who have achieved at least 100 hours of volunteer service for the year. 

Three volunteers—Vertie Martin, Alison Steiner, and Carolyn Clements—received the Lifetime Achievement Award for dedicating over 1,000 hours of volunteer service. 

Finally, the Elbert R. Hillard Spirit of Service Award was presented to longtime volunteer Beverly Fatherree. Nominated by the Eudora Welty House & Garden, where she has volunteered since it opened to the public in 2006, Fatherree was praised for her enthusiasm and flexibility. 

“I adopted volunteering at Welty as a sort of mission work,” Fatheree said. She noted her decades of teaching Welty and love for spreading Welty’s work as being the driving force for her volunteerism. She said the information MDAH provides volunteers makes it easy for everyone. 

Anna Traylor, special projects coordinator at the Welty House, notes that volunteers such as Fatheree “not only help with the day-to-day museum operations, but also bring their own experiences and wealth of knowledge that visitors and staff learn from.”

To learn more about volunteering, visit https://www.mdah.ms.gov/careers-volunteering.