Expert Museum Professional/Historian

[402whea]

Headline: Expert Museum Professional/Historian
Name: Laura Wheaton
Email Address: moosecup@gmail.com
Current Location: Louisville, KY, USA

Preferred Job Category: Administration

Personal Statement:
My career objective is to use my skills and abilities to serve my institution, my community, and to endgender a love for history in everyone I meet. I hope to find a position that will find my skills critical to its current status and future growth, and to find people and places that will provide growth opportunities for me, as well.

Education:
MASTER OF ARTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY, Southern Illinois University; Carbondale, Illinois; May 1994
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ARTS MANAGEMENT, Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff, Arizona, May 1992

Professional Experience:
CURATOR OF INTERPRETIVE PLANNING
Frazier International History Museum 2007 to present

Senior management professional responsible for development of interpretive goals and implementation of plan in permanent exhibition galleries.
• Led team of senior staff to create institutional interpretive plan; liaised with partners at Royal Armouries, Britain, to improve interpretation of their galleries for American audiences; Implemented interpretive plan for 3rd floor British exhibition galleries
• Led partnership initiatives with universities, school districts, and community organizations
• Administered WWII exhibition project, 48 Local Stories that Changed the World
• Wrote grants and edited all grant-writing, edited director’s correspondence and reports, and wrote/edited exhibitions interpretive panels

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
McLean County Historical Society 1998 to 2007

Energetic senior professional responsible for educational programming development and implementation
• Developed and achieved goals of department through management of staff and volunteers, including training, performance reviews and procedure development; promotions, long and short range planning; budget and grant writing
• Created programming for special events and all exhibits; worked with curator to develop interactives in all changing exhibits
• Produced publications for distribution to teachers, classrooms and the general public
• Co-edited (with Susan Hartzold) To Sustain the Union: Central Illinois in the Civil War, Local History Series Book 1, 2003
• Received “Certificate of Commendation – publications,” from American Association for State and Local History, awarded for Discovering Evergreen Cemetery, 2001, and for To Sustain the Union: Central Illinois in the Civil War, 2004
• Wrote and won $116,000 grant from Institute for Museum and Library Services for staff and expenses to produce an educational outreach program, Museums in the Classroom, 2004-2007

PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum 1997-1998

Dedicated professional responsible for program development, collections management and community liaison
• Supervised volunteers and junior staff in the development of programming, facility rentals and tours
• Managed artifact collection, exhibits programs
• Wrote successful grant proposals and edited National Road Alliance newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
French Icarian Museum 1995-1997

Trained museum professional responsible for management of all aspects of museum operation
• Created exhibit in historic house; developed interpretive tours and programs; managed retail activities
• Established marketing program; wrote budget and successful grant proposals; served as liaison to community and city council

Applicable Skills:
Outstanding Knowledge of History
Concise Writing/editing
Successful Grant Writing
Detailed Research Skills
Innovative Fundraising
Project Planning and Development
High Degree of Personal Integrity
Effective Analysis/Evaluation
Effective Supervision/Staff Management/Team Building
Strong Organizational skills/Data Management/Budgeting
Compassionate Leadership
Articulate Public Speaking
Respectful Conflict Resolution
Rapport Development/Friendliness
Stong abilities in MS Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Past Perfect softwares

Other:
Staff Liaison to Smithsonian Institution’s Affiliates program, 2009-2010
•Education Consultant, Illinois Humanities Council for Smithsonian Institution’s Museums on Main Street, 2004-2006
•YWCA Women of Distinction nominee, Education category, 2004
•International Partnership Among Museums (IPAM), 2001-2003 term, County Roscommon, Ireland, awarded 2002
•Kiwanis Club of Bloomington, member since 2002; editor of award-winning newsletter, 2003-2005
•“Using Interns in Loan Kit Development,” session presented at Illinois Association of Museums conference, October 2002
•“Museums in Communities: McLean County Museum of History’s Collaborative Community Partnerships,” IAM News,
Vol. 8, #2, 2001
•Teaching with Digital Content, project partner IMLS grant to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001
•Fellowship recipient, American Association of Museums annual meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 1995