Executive Director Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship

Executive Director
Warszawa
Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Polska

• Organization Type: Arts Services Organization

Menokin is a 500-acre National Historic Landmark in Virginia’s rural Northern Neck. Home to Declaration of Independence signer Francis Lightfoot Lee and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee from 1769 to 1797, the Menokin Foundation owns and interprets the property, drawing on the landscape, historic preservation, and genealogical projects to tell multi-faceted stories of the many people who have lived on the site and to explore complex narratives of American history.
Menokin is engaged in a significant rehabilitation project of the Lee home ruin. Acclaimed architects Machado Silvetti have developed a unique plan to encase the ruin in a glass structure, allowing visitors to walk through glass halls and over glass floors to see the archaeological skeleton of the house and to explore architectural building practices of eighteenth-century Virginia. The Glass House Project has been active since 2015 and is now completing Phase 1A. Approximately $6. 5M of the overall projected budget of $10M has been raised.
The Menokin property holds additional archaeological remains from the colonial era through post-Reconstruction, much of which is yet to be excavated and explored. A Remembrance Structure, erected above the archaeological footprint of an eighteenth-century slave dwelling, serves as an example of the “dynamic preservation” that Menokin seeks to foster. This open timber structure leaves the ground beneath undisturbed to allow future archaeological research, while also creating a platform for conversations about slavery and its legacy in contemporary times.
Menokin’s second key activity is its Descendants Initiative. Approximately 200 individuals were enslaved at Menokin from the colonial era through Emancipation. The Descendant Collective, staff and volunteers are building a research database to identify living descendants of enslaved people at Menokin, grow the collective and create opportunities for contemporary engagement. In 2022, Menokin hosted its first Descendants’ Day and more than 120 descendants attended. The Descendant Collective is an outgrowth of this event.

The Menokin Foundation is dedicated to blending the importance of historic and environmental conservation with preservation. Three hundred and twenty-five acres of the property are protected by a conservation easement as part of the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge and offer miles of woodland trails, birdwatching opportunities, and undisturbed waterways for recreational boating. Staff offer tours, guided kayaking, and a rich selection of educational programs for school groups and individuals.
Open year-round to the public, Menokin welcomes 2, 000 visitors annually and upwards of 500 schoolchildren, students, and summer-campers. The landscape is free and open to the public from 7 am—7 pm daily. Tours and some programs have fees.
Founded in 1994, the Menokin Foundation is nearly three decades old. The combined current annual operating and capital budget (work on the Glass House Project) is approximately $1. 4 million. The Executive Director reports to a Board of Trustees and manages a dynamic staff, currently consisting of seven members.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Menokin is a site that invites visitors to explore the interconnections of place, history, and people and to experience how built environments and cultivated landscapes both change and endure. The incoming ED will complete the Glass House Project and spearhead the development of broader programming initiatives on the property, including its cutting-edge Descendant Collective research (See link to MoMA exhibition). With an eye to becoming a national gathering place, Menokin programming will bring to life the technology and tools of archaeology and architecture and tell historical narratives about the property’s and region’s inhabitants. With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence coming in 2026, there is an opportunity for momentum to engage visitors and stakeholders in the development of this remarkable national treasure.
Overview of Job Responsibilities

The Executive Director is responsible for the management and operation of Menokin, including budgeting, staffing, fundraising, program development, and care of the site and facilities. The ED will work closely with the Board and stakeholders to raise the money necessary to finish the Glass House Project. The ED will continue Menokin’s work to engage with descendants of people enslaved there and recognize their ancestors. The ED will enhance Menokin’s capacity to produce programming and events that build community, generate engagement, and grow revenue.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative, Financial and Programmatic Oversight

- Provide vision and leadership for Menokin that engages and inspires the Board, staff, and stakeholders and furthers donor and community commitment to Menokin.
- Oversee the site’s multi-faceted operations, developing priorities and long-term programmatic strategies.
- Work with the Board of Trustees to establish, revise, and implement policies, activities, and strategic planning initiatives that will lay the foundation for long-term sustainability in programming, financial management, educational activities, collections, and facility management.
- With the Board’s Finance Committee, develop and monitor the annual budget; obtain the annual resources needed to meet the current operating needs of the museum and to operate the organization on a sustainable basis from earned income streams, annual giving, grants, and other revenue sources.
- Together with the Board, create a long-term plan for building the endowment.
- Working with museum staff, develop and integrate interpretive programs.
- Hire, supervise, energize, and review the staff. Evaluate needs and structure staff accordingly. Be an empowering leader and a good delegator, inspiring staff and encouraging their professional development.

Fundraising and Marketing

- Provide significant leadership in identifying and raising money for Menokin’s operations; work closely and in collegial partnership with the Board to finish the Glass House Project capital campaign, helping to personally cultivate major donors.
- Market Menokin and serve as an ambassador for the site and its mission; expand local and regional visitation.
- Grow the museum’s regional and national networks in historic preservation to increase opportunities for partnerships and research sharing.
- Engage in the community, attend local events, and be available to be onsite on select weekends and evenings for museum events.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLSETS AND EXPERIENCE

- B. A. degree required; advanced degree preferred. Business Administration, History, Architectural Preservation, Museum Studies, or a field related to Menokin’s mission preferred.
- Minimum of seven years’ experience as the successful director of a museum or related arts or cultural organization. If at a large institution, the experience could be as a deputy director or department head with substantial management and some fundraising responsibilities.
- Five years’ experience managing professional staff, including hiring, developing, and retaining talent; additional years preferred.
- Experience developing a nonprofit institution through a transition or growth phase, especially an ability to identify and implement key operational structures for staffing, budgeting and marketing.
- Effective interpersonal skills: a good relationship-builder who is enthusiastic to be in the community and to welcome broad engagement with Menokin.
- Ability to multi-task, delegate, and foster a team environment.
- Leadership skills and experience achieving consensus and buy-in for new initiatives
- Proven fundraising ability with evidence of successful donor relations, grant writing and funded projects.
- Museum or architectural experience and familiarity with developing community-resonant projects. A thought leader in historic site interpretation.
- An intellectually curious mind, deeply interested in architecture, landscape and historic preservation.
- Excellent written, verbal and listening skills. A public-facing person with strong communication skills. An engaging public speaker.
Compensation
The salary range is $90, 000 – $110, 000 and includes a benefits package. There is a possibility to accommodate a hybrid work/home schedule if desired.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Menokin values diversity and invites applications from underrepresented groups who will enrich the research, teaching and service missions of the organization. Menokin is an Equal Opportunity employer.

HOW TO APPLY
To apply in confidence, please email: 1) Cover letter expressing interest in this position, giving brief examples of past experiences and salary requirements, 2) Resumé or curriculum vitae, 3) Names and contact information of at least three references and your professional relationship, to Connie Rosemont, Senior Search Consultant, Museum Search & Reference at: SearchandRef@museum-search.com by September 13, 2023. References will not be contacted without prior permission of the applicant. Nominations are welcome. Visit