American Numismatic Association Welcomes Christian Strayhorn as Education Director

Born and raised in North Carolina, Strayhorn has 17 years of experience in the education sector with community colleges, and public, private, charter and international schools (El Salvador, Brazil and China). She began her career as a history teacher and school administrator after receiving a Bachelor of Arts, History from North Carolina State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She later went on to receive a Masters of Arts, History from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. She has been honored with numerous fellowships – including a Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) fellowship to Germany and a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at UC Berkeley – and has earned Certificates in Global Education Entrepreneurship from UPENN and in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School.

Strayhorn’s recent focus has been on redesigning learning experiences and creating programs that are engaging, entertaining, interactive and informative. She has authored historical fiction and non-fiction books, research articles, been a guest blogger, a TEDx speaker, and an international speaker and presenter.

“I’m a tireless advocate for life-long learning,” says Strayhorn. “The ability to bring my experiences with history and education to the world of numismatics feels like a beautiful culmination of my career journey. I am eager to jump in and continue the amazing and inspiring work of the ANA.”

Strayhorn assumes the role of ANA Education Director on March 29. She will be responsible for implementing an online education program while elevating and improving upon existing programs. Strayhorn takes the reins from Rodney Gillis, who retired after serving the ANA for nearly 17 years. The newly expanded Education Director role will oversee educational content development and programs for a new eLearning platform, and collaborate with national numismatic experts for teaching in the Association’s eLearning Academy, technical seminars and the acclaimed Summer Seminar. A major focus will be implementing a new Learning Management System.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Christian to our numismatic community,” says ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick. “This newly expanded leadership role is critical to the ANA's mission, and I believe Christian is that person who can help expand our educational initiatives for the next generation of collectors.”

The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs, to include its museum, library, publications, conventions and webinars. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit money.org .