Meet Tucker Foltz, SBTHP's Director of Programs

By Kevin McGarry, Associate Director for Public Engagement  

(PHOTO 1.0)  

Tucker Foltz joined the SBTHP Public Engagement team in mid-April 2026 with 10+ years of experience in education and interpretation at historic sites and museums, most recently at the Rokeby Museum (a historic farm property & National Historic Landmark in Ferrisburgh, Vermont), the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center and the Filoli Historic House & Gardens (in the Bay Area).  

As SBTHP's Director of Programs, Tucker plans and oversees SBTHP’s public and school programming at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park and Casa de la Guerra, as well as our tours, virtual programming, and educational partnerships. He is also responsible for the training, scheduling and management of our Programs Department staff, interns, and volunteers.   

Tucker’s passion for engaging diverse audiences and groups with history, bringing historic spaces to life, bridging past and present through story, and fostering community partnerships makes him a great fit for our Director of Programs role. 

Tell us a little about yourself and your upbringing/family.  

I grew up in Norwich, Vermont – a small town on the Connecticut River. This is a rural, beautiful place. The community is abnormally abundant with artists, writers, professors, and doctors. Dartmouth College and DHMC, a large research hospital, sit right across the river in New Hampshire. I would describe the place as heady affluence meets-hippie back-to-the landers-meets small-town New England. This meant academic pressure, but it also meant a lot of time spent learning every word to every folk song in Rise Up Singing. It meant dirt roads, cows, and a one-store town, but it also meant that any plastic bag that entered a home never left until it was 'used-to-shreds.' My two sisters and I spent a lot of time outdoors. Two of us still do. The other one hates the outdoors with a passion.  

What did you do professionally before joining the SBTHP team? 

I have worked in museum education and public programming since 2011 and at historic sites since 2014. I’ve had the pleasure of working for a diversity of museums: public, private, large and small. Some of my past positions centered on programming, others interpretation, education, or even collections and archives. Most often it was all the above. Most recently I served as the Education Programs Manager at Rokeby Museum in Vermont. This site interprets the history of Abolition and the Underground Railroad. It was an exciting position where I had the opportunity to establish and grow the Museum’s education department. Before Rokeby I served as Interpretation Manager at Filoli in Woodside, CA, leading a team of Interpretation Specialists to give tours, talks, field trips, and collections care.  

(PHOTO 2.0)

Tell us why you chose to work at SBTHP? 

When I first visited SBTHP, I was impressed by its accessibility and attracted to its layered history. As I dug deeper, I found it matched my values as a historian. I was drawn to SBTHP and the position because of its mission to interpret diverse history and its strong commitment and success with community partnerships. I see museums and historic institutions as vehicles for transparency, justice, and growth in our society. They can and should be used as tools to grow healthier communities. Axis points for children and adults to come together, ask hard questions, and explore our varied identities. Historic sites should share and provide education, yes, but also engage and meet the needs of our contemporary communities.  

What do you enjoy most about the role and what projects are you working on now? 

I started at SBTHP in April in what might be referred to as “off and running!” After completing spring school field trip season, the department quickly turns to organizing and executing summer/fall programs. These includes Community History Day, CASA Camp, Asian American Film Series, Indigenous Film Series, Asian American Neighborhood Festival, and Día de los Muertos. It was a challenging haul, but rewarding. In the process I learned a lot and had the opportunity to work closely with many of our community and institutional partners – particularly the Asian American Affinity Group, who were a joy to work with. This winter, I’m excited to find time to shift gears towards education. I look forward to using my background to further develop, polish, and standardize our school tours alongside my education partners at Su’nan: The SPACE. 

Tell us something interesting about yourself we would never guess... 

I’ve waited my whole life to be discovered for my whistling skills. Are there competitions for this? I think I saw a VHS tape once… If anyone knows anyone, I’m accepting agents.