By Alaina Denean Deshazo | The Selma Times-Journal

The Old Depot Museum held it’s annual board of directors meeting Tuesday during which a new president was named.

Benny Austin took over the position from Dr. Jerry Light, who has been the president for the past year.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Austin said. “Dr. Light has started several initiatives, that I look forward to carrying through this year.”

Austin said over the past few years, the museum has picked up its activity and gotten the community more involved.

“The museum has enjoyed a resurgent of activity and membership has increased and our presence in the community has really increased in the last couple of years. I’m looking forward to trying to maintain that and really continue to make the museum a showcase for Selma and Dallas County,” Austin said.

Austin said the museum is a pillar of the community and has more history than many might think inside.

“So many people don’t realize, locally we’re known as the Old Depot Museum, but our name is the Selma-Dallas County Museum of History and Archives,” Austin said. “We run the gamut from the founding of Selma to current times … which is something that none of the other museums in Selma do.”

Light said he has enjoyed his year as the president, and he learned a lot about the community during his time.

“I’ve been here for a year as president and I’ve enjoyed it here. It’s helped me learn a lot about Selma, because I’ve only been here six and a half years, and it made me understand the rich history,” Light said. “You can appreciate Selma when you walk through here and read what we have on the walls and in the showcases.”

Light said it’s amazing how much history the Old Depot showcases to everyone that visits from pre-Civil War to modern times.

“On the city’s emblem, it says from the Civil War to Civil Rights, but before, in between and after that, there’s been a lot of history. We hold it all here,” Light said. “This building is a repository for so much the history of Selma.”

David Hobbs was the guest speaker at the meeting, and he spoke to the board of directors about the transformation of Creek hunting technology.

“I love it. I’m a teacher by trade, that’s what I do,” Hobbs said.