Open Forum

We are looking for museums that have a similar governance structure to ours so that we can share collections strategies. A city commission formed in the 1980s created our museum in 1990, and hired staff to run it. The management has changed over time, sometimes it was outsourced, sometimes managed by a nonprofit, but it was always overseen by the Commission that hired a CEO or Director to run it. Although not a branch of the local government, the Commission follows similar ethics and procedures. Does anyone have a parent organization like this that would like to reach out to me and let me pick your brain? I hope y'all are having a great week!

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Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Curator
Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park
Lafayette LA
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Try the Springfield (MO) Art Museum.
Or, coincidentally, the Springfield (MA) Museums - two art museums, history museum, and science museum.

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Laura Roberts
Principal
Roberts Consulting
Cambridge MA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-14-2021 11:14 AM
From: Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Subject: Looking for a museum with a similar governance structure to ours

We are looking for museums that have a similar governance structure to ours so that we can share collections strategies. A city commission formed in the 1980s created our museum in 1990, and hired staff to run it. The management has changed over time, sometimes it was outsourced, sometimes managed by a nonprofit, but it was always overseen by the Commission that hired a CEO or Director to run it. Although not a branch of the local government, the Commission follows similar ethics and procedures. Does anyone have a parent organization like this that would like to reach out to me and let me pick your brain? I hope y'all are having a great week!

------------------------------
Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Curator
Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park
Lafayette LA
------------------------------

Hi Anne,

I'm not sure if our structure is what you are looking for, but we are a City Museum overseen by a Historical Commission. However, the Commission reports to City Council so it's not its own entity. And they do not hire staff, that is done by the City. They do oversee policy, review acquisitions and stuff like that.

If you would like to get in touch, you can reach me at equinnva@ci.lacey.wa.us.

Erin

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Erin Quinn Valcho
Museum Curator
Lacey Museum
Lacey WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-14-2021 11:14 AM
From: Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Subject: Looking for a museum with a similar governance structure to ours

We are looking for museums that have a similar governance structure to ours so that we can share collections strategies. A city commission formed in the 1980s created our museum in 1990, and hired staff to run it. The management has changed over time, sometimes it was outsourced, sometimes managed by a nonprofit, but it was always overseen by the Commission that hired a CEO or Director to run it. Although not a branch of the local government, the Commission follows similar ethics and procedures. Does anyone have a parent organization like this that would like to reach out to me and let me pick your brain? I hope y'all are having a great week!

------------------------------
Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Curator
Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park
Lafayette LA
------------------------------

Hello,
I am the director of the Lillian E. Jones Museum in Jackson OH and the only employee. This museum was set up in 1995 as a political subdivision of the City of Jackson with the City owning the property and the contents. I am not employed by the City but work as a subcontractor hired by the Museum Board, a 7-member group with 3 of those members appointed by the Mayor of the City of Jackson. The City oversees all our finances. It is interesting to see that I am not the only non-traditional museum director!

Reach me at  director@jonesmuseum.com
Megan

*********************************
Megan Malone
Director
Lillian E. Jones Museum
Jackson OH
**********************************

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Megan Malone
Director
Lillian Jones Museum
Jackson OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-15-2021 09:40 AM
From: Erin Quinn Valcho
Subject: Looking for a museum with a similar governance structure to ours

Hi Anne,

I'm not sure if our structure is what you are looking for, but we are a City Museum overseen by a Historical Commission. However, the Commission reports to City Council so it's not its own entity. And they do not hire staff, that is done by the City. They do oversee policy, review acquisitions and stuff like that.

If you would like to get in touch, you can reach me at equinnva@ci.lacey.wa.us.

Erin

------------------------------
Erin Quinn Valcho
Museum Curator
Lacey Museum
Lacey WA

Original Message:
Sent: 04-14-2021 11:14 AM
From: Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Subject: Looking for a museum with a similar governance structure to ours

We are looking for museums that have a similar governance structure to ours so that we can share collections strategies. A city commission formed in the 1980s created our museum in 1990, and hired staff to run it. The management has changed over time, sometimes it was outsourced, sometimes managed by a nonprofit, but it was always overseen by the Commission that hired a CEO or Director to run it. Although not a branch of the local government, the Commission follows similar ethics and procedures. Does anyone have a parent organization like this that would like to reach out to me and let me pick your brain? I hope y'all are having a great week!

------------------------------
Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Curator
Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park
Lafayette LA
------------------------------

Hi Anne,

My institution, the White River Valley Museum, has a similar part-city government, part-independent nonprofit structure. Feel free to reach out to me at hpittenger@auburnwa.gov if you want to chat about it!

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Hilary Pittenger
White River Valley Museum
Auburn, WA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-14-2021 11:14 AM
From: Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Subject: Looking for a museum with a similar governance structure to ours

We are looking for museums that have a similar governance structure to ours so that we can share collections strategies. A city commission formed in the 1980s created our museum in 1990, and hired staff to run it. The management has changed over time, sometimes it was outsourced, sometimes managed by a nonprofit, but it was always overseen by the Commission that hired a CEO or Director to run it. Although not a branch of the local government, the Commission follows similar ethics and procedures. Does anyone have a parent organization like this that would like to reach out to me and let me pick your brain? I hope y'all are having a great week!

------------------------------
Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Curator
Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park
Lafayette LA
------------------------------

I was the Executive Director of Mordecai Historic Park, in Raleigh, NC, from 1984-1989, .  The Buildings and Grounds are owned by the City; the collections are owned by a nonprofit (Mordecai Square Historical Society, now Capital Area Preservation).  I was employed by the City, through the Parks Department.  After a study of "best practices," things were changed so that the City contracted with the nonprofit to manage the Historic Park, although certain things were still maintained by the City. 

Dan Ellison, J.D.
Visiting Lecturer, Duke University
artandmuseumlaw@aol.com

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Daniel Ellison JD
Durham NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-14-2021 11:14 AM
From: Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Subject: Looking for a museum with a similar governance structure to ours

We are looking for museums that have a similar governance structure to ours so that we can share collections strategies. A city commission formed in the 1980s created our museum in 1990, and hired staff to run it. The management has changed over time, sometimes it was outsourced, sometimes managed by a nonprofit, but it was always overseen by the Commission that hired a CEO or Director to run it. Although not a branch of the local government, the Commission follows similar ethics and procedures. Does anyone have a parent organization like this that would like to reach out to me and let me pick your brain? I hope y'all are having a great week!

------------------------------
Anne Mahoney Fontenot
Curator
Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park
Lafayette LA
------------------------------