Sixth-generation Floridian previously worked at State Archives of Florida
Joshua Goodman has been selected as Sarasota County’s new historical resources manager, a position that is part of the Libraries and Historical Resources Department (LHR), the county has announced.
A sixth-generation Floridian, Goodman was reared “in a family that respected and valued history, so it was a natural extension of his upbringing” to pursue such a career path, a news release points out.
He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from Florida State University; he later earned his doctorate in history from Tulane University in New Orleans, the release adds.
Goodman served for six years as the archives historian at the State Archives of Florida, in Tallahassee, “where he managed the digitization of historical records for the award-winning Florida Memory Program,” the release continues. “He also worked for the National World War II Museum in New Orleans while finishing his doctorate.”
“With his doctorate complete,” the release notes, he returned to the State Archives as the historian.
“Originally, my plan was to teach,” Goodman said in the release. “But, as excited as I was to do my own research and writing, I had just as much fun trying to inspire other people to take advantage of our collections at the Archives.”
LHR Director Renee Di Pilato said that Goodman was the perfect fit for the job based on his education, dedication to state history and leadership qualities, the release points out.
“He has a strong background in public programming and outreach, and his experience building positive relationships with community partners will be a true asset to our department,” she added.
“As Goodman continues to immerse himself in Sarasota County history,” the release continues, he is looking forward to projects such as digitizing photos and historical records, along with making all of the “interesting collections at the Sarasota County History Center easier for the public to access.”
“I see a lot of opportunities for us to serve our community, especially those who are deeply interested in making sure the county’s history is preserved for future generation,” he added in the release.
To learn more about Goodman, the release says, “check out the second episode of SRQCountyCast, a new podcast with updates, interviews and even games” from the county’s Communications Department. “Give it a listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts,” the release suggests. Check out scgov.net/srqcountycast.