Who We Are
People
Hands-on Heritage is a professional communications team headed by Robin Van Auken. Robin is an author, an educator, and a registered professional archaeologist, a skillset she uses every day as a heritage specialist. The Hands-on Heritage team is unique for embedding itself within communities, developing relationships with citizens, and finding the unheard voices, the unseen images.
Robin is the founder of Hands-on Heritage. She has extensive experience as a researcher, a writer, an educator, and a registered professional archaeologist – a skillset she uses every day as a cultural communication specialist. She works with communities, galvanizing individuals to contribute their memories, photographs, and artifacts to develop legacy projects.
Lance enjoys working on museum projects, from architectural and construction aspects to selection of graphics and artifact mounting, to exhibit label writing. He served as a Vice President for Little League Baseball and the liaison for Little League International to The White House and President George W. Bush’s Tee Ball on the South Lawn initiative. An Army veteran, he served 12 years in the Reserves.
Sarah Stone is a travel writer and is editor-in-chief at Frayed Passport. Sarah’s work in the travel space started in 2005, when she joined an internship with the Peace Corps, and she’s been bouncing around in communications and development for private sector travel companies (and other innovative places) ever since. Sarah’s has had the fantastic opportunity to live and work in 20+ countries.
Tonya Anderson is a researcher, writer, therapist, and public speaker. A clinical mental health counselor (MS, CMHC), she has vast experience working with veterans, politicians, law enforcement officers, and victims of trauma through her private practice. She provides inspirational presentations for colleges, universities, professional organizations, and businesses, and is a TEDx speaker.