Arts Consulting Recruits New Leader for Martha’s Vineyard Museum
June 23, 2021 – Following an international search, Boston-based search firm Arts Consulting Group has assisted in the recruitment of Heather Seger as the new executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum (MVM). Ms. Seger, who has served as interim executive director for the past year, was the unanimous choice of the board. President Bruce D. Thibodeau led the assignment. “What good fortune to have engaged in a professional search, only to realize the museum was already being led forward by a tremendously competent, capable and professional individual,” board president Cathy Weiss said in the announcement. “During what has been the most unprecedented year in any of our memory, Heather’s steady hand, respect among the Island’s non-profit and municipal sectors, and inspiring leadership helped the museum continue to meet the needs of the community and motivate our staff to find new ways to provide an outstanding visitor experience,” Ms. Weiss said.
Ms. Seger’s professional background includes serving previously as executive director of the Cornelia Connelly Center, a non-profit that champions girls at risk on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. During her 14 years at the center, she held several positions including development director for five years and executive director for five years. Ms. Seger is on the board of the Vineyard Montessori School. She became interim executive director at the museum in June 2020 following the departure of Phil Wallis.
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As executive director, Ms. Seger’s will represent MVM regionally and nationally to external stakeholders, constituents and community partners. She will be charged with building excitement, providing leadership, and invigorating a strategic direction in support of MVM. Maintaining a high professional profile, the executive director will be expected to support growth in both contributed and earned revenue, closely collaborating with the board to complete the capital campaign while identifying opportunities for legacy and endowment gifts. Ms. Seger will also partner with the board to cultivate relationships and financial resources that will ensure the success of an institution that serves as a symbol of community engagement and pride to the residents and visitors of Martha’s Vineyard.
Related: Saxton Bampfylde Recruits Director for the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art
Martha’s Vineyard Museum is a century-old historical and cultural museum that has collected art, artifacts, oral histories, documents and photographs that help tell the stories of Martha’s Vineyard from its prehistoric stage to the present. Founded in 1922 as the Dukes County Historical Society and incorporated in 1923, the organization officially changed its name to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in 2006. Thirteen years later, the museum opened its current location in Vineyard Haven. Its collections include more than 43,000 different items and more than 350 individual subject collections consisting of manuscripts, maps and charts, and genealogical materials. Its Hackney Research Library provides anyone interested in the history and culture of Martha’s Vineyard with access to more than 3,500 books, 900 maps and charts, and 50,000 photographic images.
Arts and Culture Recruiters
Arts Consulting Group provides interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement consulting, facilities and program planning, and organizational development services for the arts and culture industry. The firm has identified senior-level leaders for the Long Beach Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Chicago Opera, Stockton Symphony Association and Portland Baroque Orchestra, among others. The firm has offices in Boston; Calgary; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Halifax; Los Angeles; Nashville, TN; New York; Portland, OR; San Francisco; Tampa, FL; Toronto; and Washington, D.C.
Dr. Thibodeau founded ACG in 1997 and has been part of numerous projects in all practice areas to grow institutional sustainability, advance the arts and culture sector, and enhance communities served by the industry. He has guided hundreds of non-profit, university and government clients in achieving effective leadership transitions, planning cultural facilities, increasing revenues, developing dynamic institutional brands and messages, crafting strategic plans and business models, and revitalizing board governance practices.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
