The life of Mission native Luis Contreras II is coming full circle as he takes over the director position at the Mission Historical Museum. He comes on board next Monday, Aug. 13, and officially takes the helm on Aug. 20.

Contreras is taking the place of Cassandra Karl, who has been with the museum since January of 2011. Karl heads to Nashville, Ind. where her husband has accepted a new job. She plans on pursuing her master’s degree as she restarts her museum consulting business, Museum Solutions.

Contreras, a Mission High graduate, received his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Texas-Pan American and his master’s degree from Ohio State University. He worked as a teaching associate there, but returned to Mission in 2006 when he worked at the Mission Historical Museum as an archivist and curator for two years before joining the faculty at UTPA. Later he became a curator and assistant director, and then the director, at the Weslaco Museum. Most recently, he has been teaching art and art appreciation at South Texas College.

He is married to the former Amaris Cano, also raised in Mission, and has a daughter,­­­­­­­­­ 18-month-old Emma.