RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
6/2017 - Present Michigan History Center Lansing, MI
Director of Museums. January 2022 - Present
10/2010 - 06/2017 Detroit Historical Society Detroit, MI
Senior Director of Education and Outreach July 2016 - June 2017
6/2006 - 10/2010 New York State Historical Association Cooperstown, NY
Manager of Statewide Programs
10/2005 – 6/2006 New York State Historical Association Cooperstown, NY
Strategic Planning Team Internship
06/2005 – 08/2005 New York State Historical Association Cooperstown, NY
Education Department Internship
2001 – 2004 Rochester Hills Museum Rochester Hills, MI
Museum Staff Assistant - August 2002 – August 2004
Clerical Staff Aid - January 2002 – August 2002
Volunteer - June 2001 – January 2002
Director of Museums. January 2022 - Present
- Manage the strategic and operational functions of the Michigan History Museum System, which includes the flagship Michigan History Museum and eleven field sites and museums, exhibition design and development, collections management, and museum visitor service and store operations.
- Set the strategic direction of the Museum section in a manner that achieves excellence in all programs; advances diversity, inclusion, access, and equity; uses human and fiscal resources wisely; provides excellent visitor service; builds external partnerships; and expands the support of the center.
- Direct the exhibitions unit, which develops temporary and permanent exhibitions at the Michigan History Center museums and the Heritage Trails Program.
- Oversee the museum collections unit, which manages and preserves more than 100,000 artifacts that tell the stories of Michigan history.
- Supervise staff, manage budgets and develop plans that support the History Center's strategic agenda,
- Direct Michigan History Center community engagement operations, which includes visitor services, museum stores, education, public programs, heritage trails and community engagement.
- Develop and nurture Center efforts to build and strengthen community relations and partnerships, working to find the intersections between community needs and Center resources and ability to help fill them:
- Advance education and public programming that reinforces and builds on the Center’s mission and the work of the museum and the archives.
- Lead Center-wide marketing efforts working with all other parts of the Center.
- Collaborate with the museum and archives on evaluation, exhibits, collections development, education, public programming and marketing.
- Collaborate with other staff and the Michigan History Foundation in securing resources through grants and private or corporate donations.
10/2010 - 06/2017 Detroit Historical Society Detroit, MI
Senior Director of Education and Outreach July 2016 - June 2017
- Lead the development and implementation of K-12 and adult learning experiences; public programs and events; outreach, including partnerships with community organizations as well as off-site programs and events; and oversee the Society’s volunteer program.
- Develop and implement the Society’s first community outreach strategy as part of its Detroit 67: Looking Back to Move Forward project (www.detroit1967.org). More than 85 community partners have joined the project and are working with the education and outreach teams to develop more than 100 programs and events in 2017.
- Lead the creation of K-12 curriculum materials related to the Detroit uprising of July 1967, including an intergenerational oral history project, storytelling workshops, and teacher professional development.
- Oversaw the mission fulfillment aspects of the Society’s operations, including exhibitions, collections, education, programs, outreach, and volunteer management.
- Led the Society’s 2015 – 2020 strategic plan development task force.
- Serve as a key member of the Society’s leadership team and interact with the Board of Directors, affiliate groups and other associated and community organizations
- As the first museum educator hired by the Society, developed and implemented a new K-12 field trip program which has increased school visits by 119% (from 8,000 students in FY11 to 17,500 in FY16).
- Began the Society’s educational outreach by creating and managing digital educational programs and platforms, including the award-winning Building Detroit online game and curriculum (www.detroithistorical.org/buildingdetroit).
- During the museums renovations in 2012 and 2013, oversaw the writing of and/or wrote text for eight new permanent exhibitions. Also, worked with media production firm to find and/or develop source material for 31 multimedia experiences for the eight new permanent exhibitions.
6/2006 - 10/2010 New York State Historical Association Cooperstown, NY
Manager of Statewide Programs
- Planned, implemented, and promoted National History Day in New York program.
- Coordinated the Teacher Advisory Board and acted as a liaison between the Association and educators and administrators across the state
- Developed and implemented educator professional development related to museum collections, exhibitions, and educational programs, including an annual teacher conference
- Created on-line and print curriculum materials based on museum collections, including www.harvestofhistory.org.
- Conducted general departmental administrative duties, including budget, grant, and people management
10/2005 – 6/2006 New York State Historical Association Cooperstown, NY
Strategic Planning Team Internship
- Served as graduate student representative on the NYSHA and The Farmers’ Museum strategic planning team.
- Worked closely with NYSHA President/CEO and strategic planning facilitator on projects including SWOT analysis, mission development, branding, and benchmarking.
06/2005 – 08/2005 New York State Historical Association Cooperstown, NY
Education Department Internship
- Developed multiple educational units for videoconferencing initiative based on pioneering in New York State.
- Researched videoconference programs offered by museums for benchmarking and brainstorming purposes.
- Conducted observation of museum visitors in A Deaf Artist in Early America: The Worlds of John Brewster, Jr. exhibit in order to ascertain the success of educational interactives.
2001 – 2004 Rochester Hills Museum Rochester Hills, MI
Museum Staff Assistant - August 2002 – August 2004
Clerical Staff Aid - January 2002 – August 2002
Volunteer - June 2001 – January 2002
- Worked with educational staff as museum interpreter, program developer and instructor, and lecturer.
- Assisted museum director and curatorial staff with exhibition research, design, and installation.
- Oversaw museum object collection. Responsibilities included processing donations/acquisitions, researching and accessioning artifacts, documenting accession information, and handling and storing artifacts.
- Served as volunteer coordinator. Responsibilities included scheduling volunteers, creating volunteer training manual and program, and organizing volunteer appreciation events.
- Managed museum gift shop. Responsibilities included inventory purchasing, merchandising, and management, and sales tracking.
EDUCATION
2004 – 2006 Cooperstown Graduate Program Cooperstown, NY
Master of Arts, History Museum Studies
2002 – 2004 Oakland University Rochester, MI
Additional Major, History
1994 – 1998 Oakland University Rochester, MI
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Minor: English
2004 – 2006 Cooperstown Graduate Program Cooperstown, NY
Master of Arts, History Museum Studies
- Louis C. Jones Fellow, 2005-2006
- Scriven Fellow, 2004-2005
- SUNY-Oneonta Academic Excellence Award Recipient, 2006
- Thesis: Unraveling Myths : Knitting and the Impact of Feminism during the 1960s and 1970s
2002 – 2004 Oakland University Rochester, MI
Additional Major, History
- Major GPA: 3.94
- Oakland University Student Research Scholar, 2003-2004
1994 – 1998 Oakland University Rochester, MI
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Minor: English
- Graduated Cum Laude, GPA 3.73
HONORS AND AWARDS
- American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award of Merit for States of Incarceration exhibition programming. 2019.
- American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award of Merit for Dossin Great Lakes Museum permanent exhibition, Built by the River, 2015
- American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award of Merit for Detroit Historical Museum Past>Forward exhibitions, 2014
- American Alliance of Museums Silver MUSE Award in recognition of the highest standards of excellence in the use of media and technology for Building Detroit online game and curriculum, 2012
- American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award of Merit for Building Detroit online game and curriculum, 2012
- Oakland University Provost Student Research Scholarship for undergraduate research on the decline of mass transit in Detroit in the twentieth century, 2003-2004
ACTIVITIES
- Fellow, ARCUS Leadership Program, 2019-2020.
- Member, American Association for State and Local History Diversity and Inclusion Committee, 2017-2020
- Institute for Museums and Library Services, Museums for America Tier 1 Grant Reviewer, 2012-Present
- Historical Committee Member, City of Berkley, Michigan, May 2014-June 2017
- Council Member, American Association for State and Local History, October 2013-September 2017
- Host Committee Member, American Association for State and Local History 2016 Annual Meeting
- Chair, American Association for State and Local History Educators and Interpreters Committee, 2010-2015
- Program Committee Member, American Association for State and Local History 2012 and 2013 Annual Meeting
- Secretary, Cooperstown Graduate Association Board of Trustees, 2008-2014
- Trustee, The Exhibition Alliance, 2010-2012
- Entertainment Chair, Rochester Heritage Festival Steering Committee, 2002 - 2004