Right Spirit for Business and History
DBA student Terri White prepares to launch a specialty spirits brand while leading the Charlotte Museum of History
Right Spirit for Business and History
DBA student Terri White prepares to launch a specialty spirits brand while leading the Charlotte Museum of HistoryWritten By Christy Jackson
Photos Courtesy of charlotte museum of history
Terri White has a lot to celebrate. A self-professed museum junkie, she says she has achieved dream job status: CEO and president of the Charlotte Museum of History, a position she assumed in 2022.
She was well-experienced, having previously served in leadership roles at the Heinz History Center, the Carnegie Science Center and the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. White moved to Charlotte in 2019, right after finishing an MBA at the University of Pittsburgh, for a technology job. But when the opportunity to re-enter the museum world appeared, she couldn’t say no.
She’s also a busy student, working on a Doctorate in Business Administration in the Belk College of Business. Her area of research focus is on the economic impact of diversity, equity and inclusion in the American distilled spirits industry. Her interest comes from her family’s history in bootlegging and her research to launch her own venture, Sugar Top Spirit & Beverage Co., a distillery for a citrus-forward, American-style gin.
Here, White shares how she is focused on shaping her future and the city’s by connecting with the past.
Cheers to that!
How did you build a career in museum administration that ultimately brought you to your “dream job”?
I’ve always had a library card, and I was the kid excited about the field trip to museums and historic sites. Yet, it never seemed like a real career path as a child, because I didn’t really see a lot of people who looked like me doing the work. I was in my mid-20s before it dawned on me that I could make a living in the spaces that I cared so much about. Once I was in the museum world, I saw that the people who made the big strategic decisions were the leaders. I remember I had a presentation in the Office of the Secretary at the Smithsonian. I felt very comfortable in the power and energy there and knew that from that moment on that I wanted to influence how people learned and experienced museums. I wanted other kids to see themselves leading there.
What led you to decide to pursue a doctorate?
It’s certainly no easy task on top of a busy professional life. Trust me, it was not in my initial plan to get another degree. I was working on my spirits business while stuck in the house because of the pandemic. While researching the history of the alcohol industry and networking, I realized there were huge historical inequities in the field. It became a nerdy hobby of mine to read about this phenomenon. As I shared what I was finding, I heard people say, “That sounds like a dissertation topic!” I dismissed those comments until I ended up on a phone call with (Belk College of Business) Professor Reginald Silver. The rest is history.
So many Charlotteans aren’t from the Queen City originally. Why should they learn more about the history of the region they now call home?
As a fellow non-native, I strongly believe that people who move here need to understand the history of the people and communities they’re joining. We sometimes tend to build solutions for the problems we face today based only on what we see now. For example, we don’t always know the names of people who worked hard for the small victories that have shaped policies or the grassroot organizations that made change possible. But we need to. If we take time to understand the past, we can better influence the future.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Stop waiting for perfection. There will always be a hurdle, a negative comment, a loophole. Always. If you wait until conditions are 100% perfect for your next step, your next step will never happen. So, move forward — be prepared to be agile and adaptable to get where you want to go.
If you could write your story exactly as you want, what would it say you are doing in five years?
I would be wrapping up a major capital campaign at the Charlotte Museum of History for critical infrastructure upgrades that will allow us to compete fully as a nationally classed museum and historic research center. My spirits business would be on its third product launch, and I’d be courting investors for category and market expansion. I also would be confirming lecture dates and finishing up the final edits on my book about African Americans in the American distilled spirits industry that chronicles our historical contributions and the economic impact we have had on the industry and related policies.
Christy Jackson is executive director of strategic communications for University Communications.
Written By Christy Jackson
Photos Courtesy of charlotte museum of history
Terri White has a lot to celebrate. A self-professed museum junkie, she says she has achieved dream job status: CEO and president of the Charlotte Museum of History, a position she assumed in 2022.
She was well-experienced, having previously served in leadership roles at the Heinz History Center, the Carnegie Science Center and the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum. White moved to Charlotte in 2019, right after finishing an MBA at the University of Pittsburgh, for a technology job. But when the opportunity to re-enter the museum world appeared, she couldn’t say no.
She’s also a busy student, working on a Doctorate in Business Administration in the Belk College of Business. Her area of research focus is on the economic impact of diversity, equity and inclusion in the American distilled spirits industry. Her interest comes from her family’s history in bootlegging and her research to launch her own venture, Sugar Top Spirit & Beverage Co., a distillery for a citrus-forward, American-style gin.
Here, White shares how she is focused on shaping her future and the city’s by connecting with the past.
Cheers to that!
How did you build a career in museum administration that ultimately brought you to your “dream job”?
I’ve always had a library card, and I was the kid excited about the field trip to museums and historic sites. Yet, it never seemed like a real career path as a child, because I didn’t really see a lot of people who looked like me doing the work. I was in my mid-20s before it dawned on me that I could make a living in the spaces that I cared so much about. Once I was in the museum world, I saw that the people who made the big strategic decisions were the leaders. I remember I had a presentation in the Office of the Secretary at the Smithsonian. I felt very comfortable in the power and energy there and knew that from that moment on that I wanted to influence how people learned and experienced museums. I wanted other kids to see themselves leading there.
What led you to decide to pursue a doctorate?
It’s certainly no easy task on top of a busy professional life. Trust me, it was not in my initial plan to get another degree. I was working on my spirits business while stuck in the house because of the pandemic. While researching the history of the alcohol industry and networking, I realized there were huge historical inequities in the field. It became a nerdy hobby of mine to read about this phenomenon. As I shared what I was finding, I heard people say, “That sounds like a dissertation topic!” I dismissed those comments until I ended up on a phone call with (Belk College of Business) Professor Reginald Silver. The rest is history.
So many Charlotteans aren’t from the Queen City originally. Why should they learn more about the history of the region they now call home?
As a fellow non-native, I strongly believe that people who move here need to understand the history of the people and communities they’re joining. We sometimes tend to build solutions for the problems we face today based only on what we see now. For example, we don’t always know the names of people who worked hard for the small victories that have shaped policies or the grassroot organizations that made change possible. But we need to. If we take time to understand the past, we can better influence the future.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Stop waiting for perfection. There will always be a hurdle, a negative comment, a loophole. Always. If you wait until conditions are 100% perfect for your next step, your next step will never happen. So, move forward — be prepared to be agile and adaptable to get where you want to go.
If you could write your story exactly as you want, what would it say you are doing in five years?
I would be wrapping up a major capital campaign at the Charlotte Museum of History for critical infrastructure upgrades that will allow us to compete fully as a nationally classed museum and historic research center. My spirits business would be on its third product launch, and I’d be courting investors for category and market expansion. I also would be confirming lecture dates and finishing up the final edits on my book about African Americans in the American distilled spirits industry that chronicles our historical contributions and the economic impact we have had on the industry and related policies.
Christy Jackson is executive director of strategic communications for University Communications.
