Our Team

Phaedra Dolan
Director of Historical Resources
Phaedra was raised on Anna Maria Island and attended Eckerd College. She has served over fifteen years with the Clerk's Office, transferring to Manatee Village in 2008. In 2020, Phaedra was promoted to Director of Historical Resources and is responsible for overseeing two historical parks, two museums, and an archive. Her love of Manatee County's history is only rivaled by her love of Disney.

Krystin Miner
Site Supervisor
Krystin Miner holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Master’s in Liberal Arts with a History Focus from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. She has been with the Historical Resource Department for almost 10 years and enjoys the unique stories that different facets of Manatee County’s history can tell. She can trace her Florida roots back into the 1820s and views historical and genealogical research as one big puzzle.

Matthew Woodside
Curator
Matt lived in South Dakota and California before moving to Bradenton 13 years ago. Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in art and a Master of Arts in museum studies from San Francisco State University. Matt worked in the aviation and commercial construction industries before starting his career in museums in 1995. Matt enjoys restoring older vehicles and machines, gardening, cooking and family camping.

Allyson O'Leary
Education & Volunteer Coordinator
Allyson O’Leary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of South Florida and is currently enrolled in an online Master of Library and Information Science program with Louisiana State University. She is passionate about preserving historic cemeteries and teaching kids how to analyze historic documents.

Chris Hendrix
Event & Engagement Coordinator
Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Tampa, where he studied American, Military, and Public History. It was there he discovered his love for museums and the presentation of history. Chris is a collector of historical maps, and enjoys visiting museums throughout the country.

Michele Layne
Visitor Services Coordinator
Michele relocated to Bradenton 24 years ago from Ohio. Her love of the outdoors led her to a career in sports and leisure. Her motto is, “if you’re going to work in customer service, pick a place where people choose to come!" In her off time she enjoys camping, gardening, and the theatre.