Myrtice Young grew up in Lake Wales after her family moved to Florida and has been a Polk County resident for 74 years. She has served as the Preservation Manager at the Polk History Center for nearly 14 years. From the beginning of her career as Historical Preservation Manager, Young has re-organized the Polk County Historical Commission to position it to achieve the critical mission of historic preservation. She spearheaded Polk County’s historical marker program which provides incentives and guidelines for the historical commission to identify and mark significant historic sites in the county. Since its inception, forty-one markers have been installed throughout the county. In other efforts, Young worked with Polk County’s Planning Division to develop a Historical Preservation Ordinance for Polk County, establishing historic preservation as public policy.
Her work with the History Center is also noteworthy. Under her leadership, the Polk County History Center performed the rigorous tasks of examination and implementation of best practices to earn the American Alliance of Museums Accreditation by “demonstrating the highest professional standards for education, public service and collections stewardship and its commitment to continued institutional improvement.” Young has also been extensively involved in county-wide cultural preservation work. Notably this includes her leadership on projects such as:
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- Sesquicentennial 2011, a county-wide celebration to commemorate Polk’s 150th anniversary.
- History and Heritage Guide to Polk County, a collection of heritage sites featuring architecture, cemeteries, churches, schools, museums, historic markers, and historic districts.
- Citrus Crate Label Tour, a driving tour that features Citrus Crate Labels that were used to market Florida in the early 1900s.
- Suffrage 100th Anniversary, a county-wide celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment.
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