Museum/Gallery Experience

Executive Director           September 2012-Present

Boone County Historical Society, Boone, Iowa

• Responsible for the management, direction, and leadership of four individual century-old museums
• Coordinate and train more than 80 volunteers or interns
• Attendance, volunteerism, grant funding, and programming have increased under my direction
• Assure the proper care, improvement, storage, documentation, and use of all archives and collections
• Established policies for collections care, accessioning, use, copyright policy
• Maintain excellent relationship with board, membership, and community

MadaMuseo Design           September 2011-Present

Owner, clients are nationwide

• Design logo, marketing/branding packages, web sites, print collateral, trade show exhibitions
• Artist gallery prospect research and portfolio submissions
• Clients include BooST Together for Children, artist Tricia Zimic, Griggs Environmental Strategies,Morris Museum, Thompson Financial, etc.
  

Administrative Intern           March 2012 – May 2012

New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, New Jersey

• Compile, write and design 2011 annual report, print and e-newsletters
• Conduct grant prospect research and write grant proposals
• Install and de-install photographic exhibitions

Curatorial Intern June 2010 – July 2010

Union Historical Society, Union, Maine

• Preserved artifacts, photos, and archives
• Databased collections in Past Perfect
• Researched, designed and created Civil War exhibition

Assistant Coordinator Feb. 2010 – August 2010

Maquoketa Art Experience, Maquoketa, Iowa

• Secured $21,000 in grant funding
• Conducted grant prospect research and proposal writing
• Compiled marketing and business contact databases
• Created evaluative materials for exhibits, programs and workshops

Interpreter and PreservationistMarch 2009-Nov. 2009

Cedar Rock: Frank Lloyd Wright signature residence

Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Independence, Iowa

• Preservation of the home and maintenance of the grounds
• Material care and preservation
• Guiding tours of the home and estate
• Exhibit and tour research, layout and design

Museums and Collections Program AssistantAug. 2008 – March 2009

UNI Museums, Cedar Falls, Iowa

• Designed, wrote and produced exhibit materials and signage
• Installed and struck exhibits, artifact handling
• Maintained exhibitions and collections
• Researched, planned, collected artifacts, and built exhibitions
• Designed programs, posters and publicity materials
• Created database for record organization and upkeep
• Implemented technology planning; Facebook, MySpace etc

Visitor Research and Interpretation InternJune 2008 – July 2008

The British Museum, London, United Kingdom

• Created visitor tracking sheets and exit questionnaires, then administered surveys to 100 visitors
• Synthesized data into an analysis aimed at exhibition and gallery improvements at the British Museum as well as future venues
• Presented research to the British Museum interpretation board and curators of the American Scene exhibition

Public Programming AssistantAug. 2007 – May 2008

UNI Museums, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit: Earth from Space

• Designed publicity campaign and created and coordinated 23 programs for different age groups in connection with exhibit
• Scheduled guest lectures, completing all details from confirmation, promotion, set-up and take-down
• Coordinated video showings and childrens’ activities
• Assisted with design, set-up, and installation of exhibit area
• Created signage for exhibit and area displays

Curatorial Assistant and  Photograph TechnicianDec. 2002 – Aug. 2005

Jackson County Historical Society, Maquoketa, Iowa

• Developed a researchable probate database of 5,000+ files
• Excavated the abandoned, historical Clinton Engines Site
• Researched and designed exhibits
• Aided in the development and completion of photograph database
• Videotaped and provided technological support for programming
• Charged with open/close of museum and tours

Commissioned Artist2004

Ohnward Fine Arts Center, Maquoketa, Iowa

• Assisted in designing and producing a permanent wooden mural for the Drew Art Gallery

Commissioned Artist2002

Maquoketa School District, Maquoketa, Iowa

• Assisted in designing and producing a permanent mural for the school board meeting room. Researched historic photos for mural design

Additional Experience

Graduate Assistantship September 2010 – September 2012

Office of the Dean, College Arts and Sciences

Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ

• Assist in editing academic articles for publishing
• Perform organizational and administrative duties
• Revising and compiling faculty chairs instructional manual
• Design, research, write annual reports 2008-2011 years
•  Perform organizational and administrative duties

Education

Formal

Master of Arts, Museum Professions

Concentration: Exhibition Development

Expected: May 2012

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ

 Thesis: Making it Count: Professional Standards and Best Practices in Building Museum Internship Programs

Bachelor of Arts, Communication Studies

Concentration: Public Relations

December 2008

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Informal

Conferences/Workshops Attended:

• New Jersey Association of Museums Annual Meeting (May 2012)
• Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Conference (October 2011) Session Speaker: Strategizing Museum Internships to Meet (and Manage) Everyone’s Expectations
• Bruce Craig Fellow: Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Conference (October 2010)
• Iowa Museum Association Conference (October 2009, 2012, 2013) and several workshops
• The British Museum (July  2008) Workshop – In the Past We Would Have Just Been Invisible

Skills

Past Perfect, Adobe PhotoShop, InDesign, Dreanweaver, and Illustrator, Quickbooks, MicroSoft Office Software, PowerPoint, Power Tools