AURORA — While no stranger to the world of fossil enthusiasts, Cindy Crane is a new face among the staff of the Aurora Fossil Museum.

Crane recently became museum director, succeeding Andrea Stilley, who has retired after holding the position for eight years.

“I first visited the museum around 1998,” said Crane, adding that she became a regular from that point on. “I’d been active in the state fossil club for years, so I became a fossil guide to hunt for fossils in the mine.”

A native of Ohio, Crane moved to North Carolina 20 years ago and considers the state her home. She raised two sons while finishing her education, attending Coastal Carolina Community College before transferring to East Carolina University.

“I’m a pirate … I bleed purple and gold and I’m proud of it,” she said with a laugh.

Crane said she comes from a family of “miners and educators,” so leading a museum devoted to treasures from the earth is hardly a stretch. She served as president of the N.C. Fossil Club for three years, during which time she organized the club’s fossil fair, and she studied geology at ECU. Later, she took a full time, temporary position with the N.C. Geological Survey, spending 18 months logging core samples and collecting data.

Crane learned of Stilley’s pending retirement and decided to apply for the position. She began her new job in early June, spending a month working alongside her predecessor and becoming acclimated to the job.

“I plan to keep the museum functioning as is, but I also want to enhance it and lead more into research areas,” she said. “And I’d like to get more community involvement, especially younger visitors.”

To that end, Crane has plans to tap into the local school systems.

“I’d love to have some kind of presence in the schools to raise awareness of the museum,” she said.

Using her skills in the field of technology will also allow her to promote the museum among folks who may live too far away to visit on a regular basis.

“We’re preparing to launch the new website, and I want to feature scientific and educational materials for schools and home school students,” Crane said. ”

Crane has also been spending time meeting staff from PotashCorp-Aurora, a longtime supporter of the fossil museum.

“PotashCorp has been very generous to the museum,” she pointed out. “They are now funding the refurbishment of our mine room at the museum.”

Crane says she is also making it a point to get to know Aurora residents, hoping to draw more of them to the museum.

“I’d like to build a stronger volunteer base to help us with outreach,” she said.

*The museum is located at 400 Main St. in Aurora. For more information, call 252-322-4238 or visit www.aurorafossilmuseum.com.