NEMA’s New Mission and Value Statements
Following an intensive, 18-month period of organizational introspection and member input, the NEMA Board and Staff this summer created a new mission statement and set of values that fully embed our commitment to DEAIJ. Our intention is that these principles will help us “walk the talk,” provide a foundation for growth, and model best practices the field as a whole. You can read more about our mission/values journey in this issue of Museums Now.
New Mission Statement:
The New England Museum Association connects a community engaged in learning, collaboration, and action, to cultivate a better museum world.
New Values Statements:
NEMA exists to cultivate a better museum world.
- NEMA creates opportunities for learning, personal growth, creative idea exchange, and inspiration that help individuals and institutions do their best.
- NEMA defines a better museum world as one in which all types of institutions consistently fulfill their potential for their stakeholders and society at large.
NEMA believes that all people should be treated equitably, and that equity centers on changing the museum structures that are systemically oppressive.
- NEMA is active in building racial, disability, gender, economic, and environmental justice through policies, programs, and systems in the museum field.
- NEMA works towards highlighting inequity in museums, supporting equitable practices through staff training and leadership development, and encouraging human-centered culture for workers and public alike.
NEMA believes in expanding and enriching the diversity and interconnectedness of the museum field.
- NEMA uplifts new philosophies of museum practice, fresh perspectives, leadership excellence in all career paths, and promotes actions that center diversity of thought.
- NEMA builds meaningful professional relationships through affinity gatherings, communities of practice, formal programs and informal interactions, each of which centers equity, respect, and mutual support.
NEMA believes that the existential threat of the global environmental crisis poses unprecedented risk to museums, historic resources, and belongings of cultural value, requiring immediate sector-wide action.
- NEMA provides museums with the language and tools to advocate for, fund, and implement solutions to the challenges of climate change.
- NEMA provides sector-wide leadership by facilitating collaboration on policy, data collection/analysis, political action, and development of equitable funding solutions to help museums of all sizes meet climate challenges now and in the future.
NEMA believes in anticipating, assessing, and fulfilling the evolving needs of our museum community.
- NEMA shares power among members, staff, and board, ensuring that NEMA's programming is responsive, iterative and community centered.
- NEMA fosters open and honest communications with its members and others in the field, monitoring trends and innovating solutions that are responsive and impactful.
NEMA believes that the people, stories, collections, and experiences that enliven museums have the ability to create a more just society.
- NEMA is dedicated to social justice by supporting the decolonization of museum collections, governance, and operations.
- NEMA challenges museums to share power with their communities comprehensively and strategically, to ensure that exhibits, programs, and spaces reflect inclusive and expansive histories and cultures.
Micro/Macro: Solving Museum Issues at Every Scale: 2022 Annual Conference
After three long years, the 2022 NEMA Conference is live and in-person! Registration is open; check out all the details here: nemanet.org/conference and don’t miss the early bird registration deadline of October 7. We look forward to welcoming you all back in-person from November 2-4, in Springfield, Massachusetts!
New Member Portal
This September, NEMA launched a new member portal and database. This new portal allows for direct connection with other members through community forums created around the PAGs. Additionally, members can now renew more easily online and have access to view/print their membership card. Institutions and Academic Programs can now update and maintain their affiliate lists as well, for an overall smooth and streamlined process.
In addition to this new member portal, NEMA will be launching a new website in the coming months. The NEMA team has been working with a sensitivity reader for feedback on the website. We are also looking for high quality images to highlight our member museums. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Heather A Riggs (heather.riggs@nemanet.org) for details.
Museum Document Exchange
NEMA needs your help in updating the Museum Document Exchange. The MDE is one of the more popular benefits of NEMA membership. Museums share their policies with fellow museums to help them create or update their own documents, including social media policies, investment policies, collection management policies, and more. Since the program's inception, literally hundreds of museums have participated by loaning and borrowing policies, helping our museum community grow stronger together.
NEMA Board Slate
The Nominating Committee of the NEMA Board of Directors has submitted the following slate for new officers and members of the NEMA board. The NEMA membership will vote on November 4, 2022 during the Annual Meeting to approve the following board slate.
Officers:
Raney Bench, Executive Director, Mount Desert Island Historical Society (President); Matt Kirchman, Principal, ObjectIdea (First Vice-President); Brindha Muniappan, Ph.D., Senior Director of the Museum Experience, Discovery Museum (Vice President); Cynthia Walker, Executive Director, Brick Store Museum (Treasurer); and Doneeca Thurston, Executive Director, Lynn Museum/LynnArts (Clerk)
New Board Members:
Charles Clark, Executive Director, Castle in the Clouds, (NH); and Allison Shilling, Senior Programs Officer, Concord Museum, (MA)
Renewing members:
Brooke DiGiovanni Evans (2nd Term), Cynthia Walker (2nd Term), Raney Bench (2nd Term),
Bylaws Update, 2022
The NEMA Board Governance Committee has proposed the following changes to the bylaws, which were approved by the full Board of Directors on June 22, 2022. The NEMA membership will vote on November 4, 2022 during the Annual Meeting to approve the changes.
Article IV, Section 3. Election
At least 120 days prior to each annual meeting, the president shall appoint a Nominating Committee of not fewer than 3 directors. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to nominate at least one member for each vacancy, including any unexpired term vacancy, for which elections are being held.
The Nominating Committee shall file its nominations with the clerk at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting, which nominations are subject to approval of the Board. Nominations may also be made by petition signed by not less than 250 members. Such petitions shall be filed in the principal office of the Corporation at least 60 days prior to the annual meeting. No nominations may be made from the floor. All elections shall be determined by plurality vote and shall be by ballot except where there is only one nominee for each position to be filled.
Article X Amendment
These bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed, in whole or in part, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting at any meeting, the notice of which contains a statement of the proposed alteration or amendment, provided that the proposed amendment has been submitted to the clerk, in writing, at least 30 days in advance of the meeting, either by resolution of the Board of Directors or signed by at least 200 members of the corporation.
2022 Lifetime Achievement Award
NEMA is pleased to honor Dr. Phelan Fretz with its 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. Phelan has built a distinguished career as a museum leader, strategic thinker, and mentor with a track record of success in science museums across the United States. This June he retired from ECHO, the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT, after 20 years of service as its founding executive director. He previously served in leadership positions at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the New England Aquarium in Boston, and Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Phelan served on the NEMA board of directors in leadership positions, including President. He currently serves as part of the NEMA 911 service and hosts the New England Museum Directors Roundtable group offering professional development and support to museum leaders.
PAG Updates
If you are interested in getting involved as a Professional Affiliation Gathering chair, please get in touch with Meg at meg.winikates@nemanet.org.
Welcome to our new PAG Chairs for LGBTQ+ Museum Staff & Students, Emily Dall’Orso and Thom Burns! Also, welcome to our new College and University Museums PAG Chair, Jennifer Thum!
We are looking for several PAG Chairs: HR & Volunteer Management, Curators, Exhibitions, and Children’s Museums.
Four PAGs have Facebook groups! Join the Registrars & Collection Care Specialists (RACCS), Library & Archives, the Development, Marketing, PR, Membership, and the LGBTQ+ Museum Staff & Students PAGs online. Don’t forget to follow the NEMA Young and Emerging Professionals page. As a reminder, all PAGs now have online community discussion groups on NEMA’s website. Go introduce yourself and start a conversation!
Call for Articles
Have a great idea for an article for New England Museums Now? Museums Now is the professional journal for the voices of museum professionals across the geography, genres, and job descriptions present in our field, and we want your voice to be represented! Submissions for articles are accepted on a rolling basis. Though Museums Now issues each focus on a particular theme relevant to our field, we welcome articles on all museum topics. Your submission is not required to fit a theme for an upcoming issue. For complete details about submitting an article, click here.
Winter 2022: Micro/Macro - Highlights of the 2022 NEMA Conference
There's always more to explore from conference than can fit in three days. Share in the highlights and experiences of the 2022 NEMA conference with the articles in this issue.
Inquiry deadline (tell us what you're thinking of writing): November 21. Submission deadline: Dec 2.
Executive Director Community of Practice
For the past several years, a group of first-time executive directors have met monthly online to share knowledge, inspiration, and support. Known as “EDCoP” (short for executive director community of practice), the program combines peer support and guest speakers to help them do their jobs better. If you’re interested in joining EDCoP or would like to create a NEMA-supported community of practice yourself, contact Dan Yaeger, dan.yaeger@nemanet.org.
NEMA Executive Roundtables
Since 2016, NEMA has offered an executive roundtable program for museum leaders with annual budgets of between $800,000 and $1.4 million. The roundtable is a confidential peer-learning group that improves the institution’s long-term stability and the director’s life. If you would like to discuss the Roundtable, contact Lawrence J. Yerdon (lyerdon@sbmuseum.org) or Dan Yaeger (dan.yaeger@nemanet.org).
NEMA 911
NEMA 911 is a free, confidential service for members connecting museum leaders with helpful colleagues. Drawing upon a pool of volunteers who are senior-level professionals in or nearing retirement, NEMA 911 is a rapid-response resource that helps untangle problems, offer words of wisdom, and suggest pathways toward solutions. For more information on this free service, go to nemanet.org/nema-911.