As the executive director of our Greater Oneonta Historical Society (GOHS) and the acting chair of our city of Oneonta Planning Commission, Marcela Micucci sits at the cusp of Oneonta’s past and Oneonta’s future. Eager to hear how today’s transitions look to her, I visited Micucci at her office at the history center — a place she has transformed since her arrival in 2021. I arrived bringing coffee and a choice of lemon or chocolate pound cake. Without hesitation she said, “Chocolate, of course!”
The center’s home is appropriately located in downtown Oneonta’s oldest brick building. The Bissell Block building was previously home to a bank, a jewelry shop, a hardware store, a confectionary and a restaurant — all depicted on its Dietz Street brick sidewall in murals beautifully painted by Oneonta artist Carol Mandigo. The building’s historical features have been carefully preserved. The current history center exhibits, however, tell the stories of Oneonta’s past in bright colors and graphics. “While we are teaching about the past,” Micucci would tell me, “the messaging needs to be brought into the present.” That approach, she explained, was not embraced by all. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” was just one of the comments heard. She, however, maintained her belief that, “Change is good and sometimes necessary” particularly if we are to reach young people. And she was quick to add that both attendance and membership are up since the transformation.
Micucci is a graduate of the former Center Street School, Oneonta Middle School, Oneonta High School and SUNY Oneonta, where she majored in history and women’s studies. She went on to earn her doctorate at Binghamton University. “Even though I did not move to Oneonta until I was ten years old, I consider myself to be a townie,” she said. Her parents moved to Oneonta to be closer to family, which includes her uncle, former Oneonta Town Supervisor Duncan Davie.
Micucci’s career began as a postdoctoral fellow at the Museum of New York City, followed by a stint at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. Her work at both museums focused on women’s right to vote — both the struggle to get it and the struggle to keep it. Those with whom she collaborated included the likes of Goria Steinem, Hillary Clinton and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
What brought Micucci back to Oneonta? “COVID and family.” With the museum in Philly shutting down, she came back to be with family and to work remotely. While here, she spotted a posting for the executive director position at GOHS. The rest is “history.”
What is it like to have one eye on the past as the Ddirector of GOHS and one eye on the future, providing leadership to Oneonta’s Planning Commission? “I strive to bring my knowledge and commitment to Oneonta’s history while making sure that we are always moving forward,” she said. “While change is good, we need to be careful. The decisions we are making right now are going to impact Oneonta in 30 years from now.”
She went on to say, “There are so many opportunities, with the projects we have now, to succeed — but also to fail.” As to how we can be most likely to succeed, Micucci was passionate: “By taking our time. By being transparent. By keeping people informed and engaged. By listening to the public. And much like the history of innovation we have had in Oneonta, we need to continue to try and be innovative in order to keep Oneonta as fantastic as I know it to be.”
What originally drew her to study history? “I don’t look at history as dates and events. I look at it as people and stories and I really want to infuse that into our permanent exhibit here,” she said. “We know Oneonta is a railroad town but Oneonta is so much more than that — there are so many fascinating characters.”
Micucci had much to say about talk on the street of Oneonta’s “good old days” and what we can learn from our history. “I still think of Oneonta as being in the good old days. Would I have supported Urban Renewal if I was living in Oneonta in the 1960s? Probably not, as I am a historical preservationist. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still appreciate what Oneonta does have now — beautiful historic landmarks, incredible architecture, fantastic local businesses, organizations and institutions,” she said.
Oneonta’s future is now transitioning into the hands of generations much younger than mine. With Marcela Micucci driving us forward as acting chair of our city of Oneonta Planning Commission while also keeping a careful eye on the rearview mirror, we have reason for optimism about Oneonta’s future.