“I think keeping the community memory alive is the purpose of the archive... That is part of the tradition of archives and libraries, open access to information. Community archives document traditions that otherwise fade away when families don’t keep them.” - Joe Penza, archivist of the City of Elizabethton

http://www.starhq.com/2012/02/15/new-city-archivist-working-to-start-archives-for-city/

I met Joe at the 2010 Society of Tennessee Archivists meeting, where we served on a panel together. Through his own hard work and a previous job, he has been given the amazing opportunity to start the Archives of the city of Elizabethton from the ground up. Joe had been planning on attending MTSU to start work on his PhD but has now put it off for this exciting opportunity. Congratulations, Joe, and good luck on your new endeavor!