Leadership & Staff
International Civil Rights Center & Museum
Museum Co-Founders
& Board Chair
Melvin "Skip" Alston
Co-Founder
Skip Alston currently serves as Guilford County Commissioner, his fifth term since 1992. Alston was the first African-American elected to serve as chairman of the Guilford County commissioners' board in 2003, a position he was also reelected to in 2009. He is active in numerous civic and volunteer organizations including the Guilford County Elected Officials Black Caucus, the North Carolina Association of Black Officials; and local, state and national branches of the NAACP.
In addition to Sit-In Movement Inc., Alston is founder and president of S & J Management Corporation, as well as Alston and Alston LLC and East Market Street Square Inc. Alston is a native of Durham, N.C., and attended North Carolina Central University where he majored in business administration.
Earl F. Jones
Co-Founder
From 2002 to 2011, Earl Jones served in the North Carolina State Legislature. He represented District 60 and served as the vice chair of the science and technology committee. Prior to this, Jones was the longest serving member of the Greensboro City Council, serving for 18 years. Jones is a leader in social and political reform in Greensboro and is also the owner and publisher of the Greensboro Times newspaper.
A lawyer by training, Jones ran the anti-poverty program in Greensboro for nearly 20 years and served as legal counsel for the NAACP. Jones grew up 30 minutes east of Greensboro in Burlington, North Carolina. He is a graduate of North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, and Texas Southern University School of Law in Houston, Texas.
Deena Hayes-Greene
Chair, Board of Directors
Write something about this member of your team to introduce them to your visitors.
International Civil Rights Center & Museum
Museum Staff
John L. Swaine
CEO
In fall 2014, John Swaine was named the first Chief Executive Officer of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina. He had previously served as the museum’s Chief Financial Officer since 2009. Swaine earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in Finance, and later earned his Accounting license in the state of Virginia. Recognizing these qualities and his professional commitment, in 2013 The Triad Business Journal named Swaine “Financial Executive of the Year” for non-profit corporations.
Museum Staff
Dr. Will Harris
Principal Scholar
La' Tonya Wiley
Events & Rental Coordinator
Senior Docent
Dillon Tyler
Tour Coordinator
Senior Docent
Cassandra Williams
Educational Programs Coordinator
Senior Docent
Christian Buettner
Floor Coordinator
Billy Person
Outreach Coordinator
Evan Williams
Curatorial Associate
Donnie Kirk
IT Specialist
Tyrone Cooke
Facilities Coordinator
Gloria Washington
Docent
Darren McGill
Docent
Jeanne Dulin
Docent
Robin Easter
Docent
Sage Chioma
Docent
Angelia Joyner
Docent