Employment Opportunity with Rosson House-Heritage Square Foundation and Guild

Rosson House-Heritage Square Foundation and Guild

113 N. 6^th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Job Title:                       Executive Director

Education:                     Bachelor’s degree (minimum) and advanced degree preferred in museum studies or a discipline related to the Rosson House-Heritage Square Foundation & Guild’s mission and collection.

Experience, skills,

And Knowledge:                 

·  Managerial, organizational and administrative ability

·  Ability to initiate programs, train and motivate people, coordinate activities, speak publicly, and deal effectively with the public, private groups, and community organizations.

·  Should understand museum development and be able to communicate that understanding to the Board and others outside the museum field.

·  Familiarity with preservation laws and procedures, including Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Preservation.

·  Experience with exhibit development from concept to presentation.

·  Minimum of five years of experience in museum work.  Previous managerial or supervisory experience required

·  Property management experience preferred

Job Description:

1.       Responsible for orientation, training, work assignments, motivation, and evaluation of other staff and volunteers.

2.       Responsible for development of program plans and budgets for consideration by the Board and for implementation of approved program plans and budgets.

3.       Responsible for establishing and maintaining appropriate records, forms, procedures, and practices related to collections, personnel, purchasing, property rentals, and general administration.

4.       Responsible for building security, visitor safety, disaster plan, and maintenance of facilities and equipment.

5.       Responsible for developing and carrying out all ongoing activities and special programs of the museum with budgets and policies authorized by the Board.

6.       Responsible for fundraising for the museum and providing input to members of fundraising committee.

7.       Responsible for development and installation of changing exhibits.

8.       Oversees content of museum website and social media.

9        Oversees creation & dissemination of all marketing/PR materials.

10.     Attends meetings of the Board and its committees, maintains liaison with them and the city of Phoenix, provides financial and other report as requested by the Board, and maintains public relations broadly in the community.

11.     Works with the City of Phoenix and Historic Preservation Officer regarding the preservation, restoration, and maintenance of the historic buildings in Heritage Square.

Compensation:

                                        This exempt position includes salary of $32,000 per year, sick leave, vacation time, and paid opportunities for professional development such as attendance of annual meetings of relevant professional associations (conference fees only).

                                        Send applications to Monica Heizenrader at rhhsfg@gmail.com; must be received by March 31, 2011.  Please include 3 letters of reference.

Conference Presenter: Lindsey Baker

In the spring of 2010, Mary Alexander and I, along with Amanda Wessleman, had the opportunity to present at the American Association of Museums. The three of us put together a session on strategic planning for small museums. We brought the spirit of small museums to the big stage in a big way. Not only did we present to a room full of eager faces, we also took the session virtual and did one of the 10 web sessions as well. We had a blast talking about the ins and outs of strategic planning for small museums. Surrounded by professionals from museums of all sizes, we had fun discussing what special situations arise in small museums--like what to do when your favorite board member who also happens to be your best volunteer and your biggest donor hates strategic planning and thinks it is a waste of time. The special situations that always arise in small museums can be even more interesting when you attempt to get a group of people to plan. Many of the SMA attendees have already been through this process or are dreading the thought of it. We are looking forward to an interesting conversation at SMA with our session's attendees on how to overcome the obstacles to strategic planning in small museums.

Photo Montage Contest: Option 2

A few weeks ago, we asked people to submit photos of their museums for a montage. We received some great photos and have made two different montages using them. Which one do you like better?

Option 2: Blue SMA

Photo Montage Contest: Option 1

A few weeks ago, we asked people to submit photos of their museums for a montage. We received some great photos and have made two different montages using them. Which one do you like better?

Option 1: We Are Small Museums

SMA Book Club - Mary Alexander

I’m looking forward to talking about Connecting Kids to History with Museum Exhibitions in a couple of weeks at the SMA conference. I’ve been in several book clubs, but never one with a “professional” focus. This is a first for me and for SMA, too. Hope you are reading along and will join Lindsey Baker and me for our conversation. Here are some thoughts to mull over. If you want to start the discussion now, let us hear from you.

There’s lots to like about this book, and therefore, I hope lots to discuss. One element that has resonated with me is that several of the authors talk about kids and their imaginations suggesting that the very process of creating history is like that of kids imagining things —- dinosaurs and princesses are mentioned. I’d not thought about young kids having great imaginations that perhaps in our museum settings we should seek to channel rather than stifle. Do we spend too much time trying to give out “accurate” information rather than allowing for the messy process of history that would actually engage younger visitors? There’s a mention at the volume’s start of “inviting children in” and I wonder if we think that way enough or even at all. How would you describe how you “welcome” children in to your exhibits?

SMA Memories from Hotel Coordinator

I attended my first SMA conference back when I was either a sophomore or a junior in undergrad at Goucher College. I remember having no idea what to expect, but really enjoying my time in Ocean City. I had the opportunity to see small museum people let their hair loose on the Monday night banquet and I've been hooked ever since on small museum work. Since that fateful first time, I've attended many SMA conferences but always been an outside observer spending my time mingling with the small museum community I've grown to know and love. This year will be very different. I am the "hotel" person on the SMA Conference Committee--very big shoes to fill because of the excellent job Mike Leister has done in the past. And I will be presenting on several different items--Strategic Planning with Mary Alexander, StEPs with Rod Cofield, and even a book group discussion with Mary Alexander. So I don't think I'll have the same free time I once had to leisurely float from one little group to the other. But I'm hoping that I'll get the chance to chat with old friends and hopefully meet other first-timers--people who are just being inducted into the wonderful small museum world!

-- Lindsey Baker, Hotel Coordinator

Conference Presenter - Mike Connolly

I hope you’ll join Colleen Callahan and me for our Monday morning presentation: We Didn't Know What We Didn't Know - A Costume Exhibit Experience at a Small Museum. We’re looking forward to sharing our experience in producing one of the most ambitious, and successful, costume exhibitions ever undertaken by the New Castle Historical Society. I’m the Society’s executive director and Colleen, from The Costume and Textile Specialists, consulted with us on the exhibition.

We’ll cover a variety of topics including exhibit planning, design, costume display techniques, graphics, companion publications, and working with volunteers. We’ll share what worked, what didn’t, what we should have done, and what we didn’t know we needed to do. We’ll provide tips for saving money on costume mounts, professional-looking text panels and signs. Colleen will demonstrate how to dress a form with a Civil War military uniform and woman’s dress. As a workshop participant, you’ll receive a CD with useful information and templates that will help you plan your own successful exhibit.

If you are planning your own exhibition of historic clothing, be sure to bring your questions to the workshop, or email them in advance to Mike at mconnollynchs@aol.com. We’ll try to make sure we cover them during the workshop.

See you in Ocean City!