Tampa Bay History Center announces leadership transition, nationwide search

After 20 years of service and innovative storytelling across West Central Florida, C.J. Roberts will lead North Carolina’s statewide network of history museums

TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 14, 2025)— C.J. Roberts, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay History Center, will transition to a new role as director of North Carolina’s statewide system of history museums after 20 years of service to West Central Florida. In his new role, Roberts will oversee eight museums across the state and will be responsible for managing the renovation and reopening of the North Carolina Museum of History and other major capital projects.

Roberts will begin his new duties later this spring and will be working with the History Center’s board to plan a national search for his successor.

“We are incredibly grateful to C.J. for his service and leadership over the past 20 years,” said Chris Alvarez, board of trustees’ chair and CFO for Health Network One. “C.J. was instrumental in helping create the vision for the Tampa Bay History Center, then led its construction in downtown Tampa, and steered its growth into a regional, cultural treasure. C.J.’s enthusiastic leadership style and museum expertise sets a high bar for the search committee.”

Roberts is recognized as a community-focused leader with extensive experience serving on numerous boards and committees at both the local and national levels. He recently completed a six-year term as an Accreditation Commissioner for the American Alliance of Museums, where he helped guide the accreditation process for museums nationwide.

“It has been an incredible privilege to lead the Tampa Bay History Center from a visionary concept to the vibrant, community-focused institution it is today,” Roberts said. “The profound history of the Tampa Bay area deserves a museum of unmatched excellence, and I’m immensely proud of our team’s dedication and hard work in creating and sustaining one of the finest regional history museums in the nation. I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support we’ve received from our community and partners throughout the years and I look forward to watching TBHC’s continued growth and success.”

The Tampa Bay History Center, located at 801 Water St. in Tampa, opened its current building on Jan. 17, 2009. The project came to fruition with support from the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and the City of Tampa as well as many significant donations from museum members. In 2015, the Center was awarded full accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, an achievement held by only 3% of museums in the U.S.

“Beginning late in 1988,” said Tom Touchton, founding chair of the board of trustees, “several community leaders began to build on the initial effort of a Historical Museum Task Force previously appointed by Hillsborough County’s Commissioners. Our challenge and our goal was to build an important history museum for Hillsborough County and the greater Tampa Bay region. C.J.’s talent, experience and management ability helped us accomplish even more than we had imagined. The result became what many refer to as the best history museum in Florida and one of the best regional history museums in America. C.J. deserves a huge amount of credit for helping our community create that.”

The History Center and Touchton Map Library preserve more than 90,000 artifacts in their collections that tell the 12,000-year history of the Tampa Bay region and West Central Florida. In addition to its Water Street location, the Center operates museums and historic properties in Hillsborough and Hernando counties through its History Hub model. This includes Chinsegut Hill Historic Site in Brooksville, Fla. and Tampa’s Black History Museum, which is in development at 1213 N. Central Ave. in Tampa, Fla.

Roberts holds a bachelor’s degree in history and folklore and a master’s degree in library and information science from Indiana University. In this new role, Roberts will lead the North Carolina Division of State History Museums comprised of its flagship North Carolina Museum of History (NCMOH) in Raleigh, which is currently undergoing renovations, and seven regional museums comprised of Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort, Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, Museum of the Cape Fear in Fayetteville, North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort, North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport, and Tobacco Farm Life Museum in Kenly.

About the Tampa Bay History Center

Located on Tampa’s Water Street, the Tampa Bay History Center includes three floors of permanent and temporary exhibition space focusing on 12,000 years of Florida’s history and culture. A Smithsonian Affiliate museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the History Center includes the Touchton Map Library and Florida Center for Cartographic Education and the Witt Research Center and is home to the Columbia Cafe. One of Tampa’s premier cultural venues, the History Center’s hands-on interactive exhibits and theaters provide an entertaining and educational experience for visitors of all ages.

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