On Behalf of the Ward Museum Executive Director Search Committee, I am pleased to share with you the announcement for the Ward Foundation’s next Executive Director.
After 16 years with the Ward Museum (12 years as our executive director) Lora Bottinelli has taken a new position outside of our region. We are excited to bring on new leadership after a period of unprecedented growth for our organization.
Thank you in advance for your support of the Ward Museum during this leadership transition.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kent Kimmel
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Executive Director Position Announcement
Overview: The Ward Foundation seeks applicants for the full-time position of Executive Director. The Executive Director operates the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University.
The Ward Foundation is at a pivotal moment of growth as it celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2018. In recent years this organization has made impressive gains in its service to the community, renewal and expansion of its facility, and adaptation to the 21st century audience and environment in which it operates.
Established in 1968, the Ward Foundation has grown to be a leader in the communities it serves regionally, nationally and internationally. The Ward Foundation operates the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art that is nestled next to Schumaker Pond in Salisbury, Maryland. Surrounded by wildlife in the heart of the Atlantic Flyway, the Museum features the world’s largest and finest public collection of decorative wildfowl art and antique decoys. The Museum was named in honor of Stephen and Lemuel Ward, whose vision and artistry in carving decoys pioneered the transition of the decoy from a working tool to an expressive wildfowl sculpture.
At its Museum and headquarters in Salisbury, the Ward Foundation is a community anchor and educational leader. With its 4.5 acre waterfront facility with 12,000 square feet of exhibition space, the museum is a major destination for tourists and a resource for local residents who enjoy its year-round offerings. The museum reaches 50,000 visitors annually through its events, galleries, and programs. This service is accomplished with 20 paid museum staff, interns and student workers, and more than a hundred volunteers.
In 2011, the Ward Museum was accredited by the American Association of Museums, the highest national recognition for a museum and signifies it has met and exceeded the highest standards of the museum field. And, in 2012, an economic impact study indicated that the museum generates $6.1 million in economic activity in the regional community and supports around 55 local jobs. This financial relevance, coupled with the museum’s educational and cultural influence, solidifies the museum’s position as a major center for community engagement and investment.
The Museum’s educational program is at the center of this organization’s recent capacity building effort and program growth. In FY 2018, the Ward Museum served more than 23,000 students from through our educational programming. The Museum recently completed an expansion of its facilities with the construction of the John A. Luetkemeyer Sr. and Thomas F. Mullan Jr. Legacy Center. This 2,200 square foot classroom addition enables the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art to meet its educational service goals for the coming decade. With waterfront views of Schumaker Pond, the new Legacy Center is an ideal location to engage students of all ages in the interdisciplinary investigation of art, nature and tradition.
The Ward Foundation is affiliated with Salisbury University, through Maryland’s University System Board of Regents Policy on Affiliated Foundations. This partnership allows the Ward Museum to leverage the academic, administrative and infrastructure support of a 4-year public university.
About the Position: Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will be the visionary and operational leader for Ward Museum. The successful candidate must be strategic, goal-oriented, innovative, charismatic, community-oriented, and entrepreneurial. He/she must have a proven record demonstrating strategic thinking, strong management, excellent communication skills, and successful fundraising. He/she will be the public face of Ward Museum and will be the primary liaison between Ward Museum and Salisbury University as well as its individual, corporate, and foundation donors. The candidate must have a passion for education, art, nature, tradition and its preservation, and for the mission of Ward Museum. The ideal candidate must have experience working with and supporting staff and volunteers and a history of successfully leading growth within an organization. Knowledge of waterfowling heritage and/or wildlife art is desired.
Primary Responsibilities of the Executive Director
• Provide Ward Museum with strategic, collaborative, visionary leadership, and long range planning.
• Work together with the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers to develop and implement Ward Museum’s strategic vision.
• Prepare annual budgets and timely reports to the Board of Directors and Salisbury University.
• Oversee the management of the Museum and its programs, including education, collections, finance, and its buildings and property.
• Lead the Museum’s fundraising efforts by working closely with the Board, staff, and volunteers to increase contributed and earned income including grants, events and major donor cultivation.
• Support the Ward Museum’s educational programming, interpretation, and exhibits in both the local and regional community, and with Salisbury University partners to continually improve the student and visitor’s experience.
• Serve as Ward Museum’s spokesperson and represent the Museum locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally reaching out to as many new constituencies as possible.
• Direct the development of public relations and marketing initiatives.
• Manage hiring training, scheduling, evaluation, and development of the staff.
• Manage and mentor volunteers.
• Ensure the Museum is in compliance with all regulations, laws, and local ordinances in the daily operation of the museum and its special events.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Formal training in history, art, environmental studies, American Studies, Museum Studies; experience in non-profit management desired.
• 3 – 5 years of relevant experience, including business planning, fundraising, budgeting, staffing, and programming.
• Experience in the non-profit sector in a leadership role, preferably at a museum.
• Demonstrated success raising funds from diverse funding streams.
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit, comfortable with a dynamic and collaborative workplace.
• Proven leadership and management of professional staff and volunteers, ability to collaborate and inspire diverse groups of people.
• Excellent problem solving and team building skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to lead and work as part of a team, managing budgets, day-to-day operations, staff, volunteers and working with the Board of Directors.
Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience. Employer paid health benefits package and retirement savings matching program.
Deadline: Application review will begin on August 16, 2018. Position open until filled.
How to Apply: Please send curriculum vitae or resume with cover letter and contact information for three references via email to the Search Committee at wardsearchcommittee@salisbury.edu.
To learn more about the Ward Museum, please visit us online at www.wardmuseum.org.
The Ward Museum/ Ward Foundation, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
To modify your subscription information, opt out of this newsletter or to unsubscribe from all newsletters, please update your subscription.
