AARCH appoints first executive director
Sep. 5—The Frederick-based African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society has hired its first executive director.
Cheryl Gooch, the new executive director, began working at the society on Tuesday.
"AARCH Society demonstrates its commitment to illuminate the rich history of African Americans in Frederick County. That attracts my keen interest as a historian who uncovers aspects of African American life and history that have been forgotten or obscured," Gooch wrote in an email Tuesday.
Gooch most recently served as the vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York campus in Schenectady, according to a news release from AARCH.
She is the author of two books: "Hinsonville's Heroes, Black Civil War Soldiers of Chester County, Pennsylvania," and "On Africa's Lands: The Forgotten Stories of Two Lincoln-Educated Missionaries in Liberia."
She also developed interpretive themes for the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., and served as lead historian and writer for the "Journey to Freedom" exhibition at the Delaware History Museum.
That project chronicles the Black experience from 1639 to the present, according to the release.
The AARCH Society seeks to preserve and share information on the history and legacy of African Americans in Frederick County.
The society is excited to bring in someone with Gooch's experience in building collaborations in the community and dynamic cultural programs, Protean Gibril, president of AARCH's board of directors, said in the organization's news release.
As the executive director, Gooch will lead the society's programs and events, as well as oversee the creation of the African American Heritage Center.
That facility is scheduled to open at the corner of Carroll and All Saints streets in 2024.
Gooch will also look to increase the AARCH Society's partnerships with educational, cultural, and civic organizations in the community.
"Residents of Frederick and Frederick County, current and previous, have witnessed and shaped our country's history," Gooch wrote in her email. "As a 7th generation American who is insatiably curious about our shared American history, I'm honored to work with and learn from members of this community, some who have lineages stretching back multiple generations. Frederick County history is American history."
Gooch will be the featured speaker at the Unity Ball, scheduled to be held at New Spire Arts in Frederick on Oct. 28.
The event will be co-hosted by the AARCH Society and the Western Maryland chapter of Jack and Jill of America, an organization that seeks to promote leadership and development among children.
Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP
