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Leadership & Board
The Leon County Historical Society is guided by leadership and community stewardship committed to preserving Leon County’s historic communities established by Black farmers, builders, community leaders, and veterans in Leon County, Texas—spanning the pre–Civil War and post–Civil War eras through education, documentation, and preservation planning.
LCHS is guided by a community-centered Board of Directors committed to ethical stewardship, accountability, and long-term preservation planning in service of Leon County’s historic communities.
Board Responsibilities
The LCHS Board of Directors provides governance and oversight to ensure the organization’s work remains aligned with its mission and accountable to the communities it serves. Board responsibilities include supporting preservation strategy, strengthening partnerships, guiding ethical documentation practices, advancing fundraising and sustainability efforts, and ensuring that descendant-led preservation and education work is carried out with integrity, transparency, and respect for community knowledge.
Board & Leadership
Dr. Ayoka Nurse
Executive Director
Dr. Ayoka Nurse is a social policy analyst, preservation advocate, and descendant committed to documenting and protecting the history of Black-founded townships in Leon County, Texas. She leads LCHS’s community-centered preservation work, including cultural landscape documentation, oral history preservation, and place-based education that connects land stewardship to legacy and community resilience.
John Medlock Jr.
Vice Chair
John Medlock Jr. is a descendant leader serving as Vice Chair of LCHS, supporting the organization’s preservation and documentation priorities. His leadership helps strengthen LCHS’s mission to protect historic Black community sites, expand partnerships, and advance public education grounded in local history and community memory.
Steve Nurse
Director
Steve Nurse serves as a Director of LCHS and is the operator of Young Busby Farms (YBF), a key land-based partner supporting LCHS preservation and education work. His leadership contributes to site stewardship, heritage agriculture learning, and long-term planning that connects land preservation to community legacy and public education.
C. Anthony Medlock
Director
C. Anthony Medlock is a descendant and Director of LCHS committed to preserving local history and strengthening community-centered documentation efforts. He supports initiatives that elevate descendant stories, protect historic sites, and expand opportunities for community engagement and cultural preservation.
Deloris D. Tooks
Director
Deloris D. Tooks is a descendant and Director of LCHS with a deep commitment to preserving Leon County’s Black rural heritage. Her leadership supports the organization’s focus on oral histories, cultural memory, and preservation education rooted in intergenerational knowledge.
Venora D. Tooks
Director
Venora D. Tooks is a descendant and Director of LCHS dedicated to strengthening preservation, community storytelling, and historical visibility. She supports efforts that honor family legacy and protect cultural landscapes as part of Leon County’s living history.
Miguel Medlock-Nurse
Information Technology
Miguel Medlock-Nurse is a descendant and Director of LCHS who supports the organization’s mission to preserve historic places and community memory across Leon County. His board service contributes to community engagement and education efforts that strengthen preservation outcomes and public understanding of Black rural heritage.
Board & Leadership
Dr. Ayoka Nurse
Executive Director
Dr. Ayoka Nurse is a social policy analyst, preservation advocate, and descendant committed to documenting and protecting the history of Black-founded townships in Leon County, Texas. She leads LCHS’s community-centered preservation work, including cultural landscape documentation, oral history preservation, and place-based education that connects land stewardship to legacy and community resilience.
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John Medlock Jr.
Vice Chair
John Medlock Jr. is a descendant leader serving as Vice Chair of LCHS, supporting the organization’s preservation and documentation priorities. His leadership helps strengthen LCHS’s mission to protect historic Black community sites, expand partnerships, and advance public education grounded in local history and community memory.
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Steve Nurse
Director
Steve Nurse serves as a Director of LCHS and is the operator of Young Busby Farms (YBF), a key land-based partner supporting LCHS preservation and education work. His leadership contributes to site stewardship, heritage agriculture learning, and long-term planning that connects land preservation to community legacy and public education.
Community Stewardship
LCHS is guided by descendant leadership and community stewardship committed to preserving Leon County’s Black-founded townships through preservation, education, and living archive documentation.