Sean FitzGibbons

Charlotte McCoy

Charlotte McCoy brings 30 years of communication and marketing experience to the History Museum on the Square. After graduating with a master’s degree in Communications from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Charlotte and her family relocated for 10 years before moving back to Missouri. During her career, Charlotte has worked in various industries, including consumer packaged goods, retail, and fast food. In 1998, Charlotte and her family moved back to Springfield. Charlotte spent 15 years as Marketing/Special Events Director at Discovery Center of Springfield and was Partnership Strategist with GigSalad.

Sarah Dotson

Sarah Dotson attended Missouri State University where she earned a B.A. in Art History and a B.A. in Visual Art and Culture with an emphasis in Museum Studies. Sarah worked as an Art History Area Assistant and Grant Research Assistant while attending MSU and completed internships with Christian County Museum, Springfield Art Museum, and Springfield Regional Arts Council. Her research has been featured in the Christian County Historian newsletter and several public exhibitions. Sarah has presented papers at the MSU Annual Intercollegiate Art History Symposium, Springfield’s First Friday Art Talk series, the Society for American Archaeology Annual Meeting, and the Missouri Archaeological Society Annual Meeting.

Alyssa Cartier

Al Thompson

Al Thompson has taken on the role of Interim Education Manager. Al’s goal is to continue implementing the Civics on the Square programs developed by Jill Hodge while focusing on further cultivating partnerships between the History Museum on the Square and the greater Springfield community through the Musgrave Citizenship Grant. She has a B.A. in History, with a certificate in Museum Studies from Missouri State University, and a M.A. in Classics from San Francisco State University. Al has worked with the museum since the summer of 2022, starting as an academic intern, then volunteer, and finally as an Education Specialist before transitioning into this role. Her goal is to make history approachable and engaging for any audience.

Jill Hodge

Jillian Hodge served for two years as the Civics Education Coordinator to develop, coordinate, and implement citizenship programs that serve the community and inspire student citizenship. She now works as an Education Specialist to teach these programs and lead Summer Camps at the History Museum. Jill has a B.A. in History and Education from Drury University and a M.A. in English from Missouri State University. She brings 19 years of teaching experience in both formal and informal education. Jill has enjoyed teaching learners of all ages while working at local public schools, universities, the Discovery Center of Springfield, and volunteering for Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland.

Cassidy Hale

As First Impressions Coordinator, Cassidy handles face-to-face visitor relations and assists with the museum’s in-house and outreach events. Previously, Cassidy served as an Education Specialist at the museum, assisting with walking tours, educational outreach, and field trips. During her time as a student, when she worked in Missouri State University’s archives and art galleries, she was also a collections intern at the museum and assisted with exhibition research and collections management. Cassidy has a B.A. in Visual Arts and Culture with a double major in Museum Studies and Art History from MSU, and has a passion for sharing the stories of the crossroads with visitors from all over the world.

John Sellars

John Sellars is a native Springfieldian who was executive director of the History Museum on the Square from 2005-2022. In March 2022, he became Executive Director Emeritus. He began his career with the museum as a volunteer when it began as a part of the bicentennial celebration in 1976. After his retirement from a career in marketing in the beverage industry, John returned to Springfield and retired in 2004. He and his wife, Jane, a retired schoolteacher, have five children and seven grandchildren.