By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
Michael Diaz has been protecting the legacy of the Whitehead Memorial Museum and preserving Val Verde County’s rich history for the past decade.
Diaz is the executive director of the museum, 1308 S. Main St. As the Whitehead’s executive director, he shepherds the museum in its mission of safeguarding the diverse prehistory and history of Val Verde County and Del Rio.
Diaz is also a member of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce, volunteers with the Del Rio Downtown Association and works closely with the Val Verde County Historical Commission. He has been awarded the Spirit of Del Rio Award and the Community Hero Award by the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce.
Diaz spoke with The 830 Times about furthering the Whitehead’s mission. Diaz has been the museum’s executive director for 13 years after working as its publicity and marketing specialist for two years.
While the Whitehead is known for Judge Roy Bean’s gravesite and the Cadena Nativity collection, Diaz has spearheaded several new projects. He helped put together the museum’s “Flood of ’98” exhibit, which displays photos and artifacts from the devastating flood of San Felipe Creek. One portion of the exhibit commemorates members of the community who lost their lives in the disaster.
Other exhibits Diaz has assisted in creating are a collection of information on the government side of Del Rio, a recorded history of the segregated school districts that preceded the current local public school district and a “Hall of Fame,” which showcases the lives and contributions of some of the area’s most notable people.
While he helps lead annual fundraising events such as Oktoberfest and Cajun Fest, Diaz has also helped create Del Rio Museum Days, Movies at the Museum and Día de los Muertos events. Diaz said the goal behind these events is to bring more people to the Whitehead, especially people who have lived in the area all their lives but have never visited the museum.
Diaz also has allowed groups to use the museum grounds to hold community events, including the Renaissance Fair, Draculina Fest and Echoes of the Wand Gathering, which took place two weeks ago. Diaz said he takes pride in helping organizations by allowing them to host their events at the museum.
“It is always great to see your community flourish. When you are out there and see all these events, whether they are a market or a festival, it’s nice to see that and also nice to see people attending those events and see them become successful. . . It is important as a community to support our organizations,” Diaz said.
