"Mentors in Vermont" matches the services of experienced professionals and volunteers who work in museums, art galleries, and historical societies with specific needs at other member institutions. The program provides one-on-one opportunities for staff and volunteers to learn from their peers. Mentors teach people, on-site, how to approach and solve their own problems. They provide the personal type of networking and assistance that institutions of all sizes and in all parts of Vermont need.

How does it work? First identify your problem or the skill you’d like to learn. Then look at our list of Mentors for someone who will meet your needs. Call Mark Case at (457-2671), email (vmga@valley.net), or write to her at the VMGA office to discuss your needs. Don’t delay! Mentors are given on a first-come/first-served basis. Your Mentor will spend a day with you, teaching you a new skill or helping you to solve your problem. After your visit, you will receive a report from your Mentor. You will need to fill out an evaluation of the day’s visit and provide a $100 match.

Governance and Administration
Ann Lawless: Manager of Curatorial Activities, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
Ann offers experience in strategic planning, grant planning, and governance issues such as board relations, reporting, bylaws, and meetings.

Corwin Sharp: Director, Woodstock Historical Society
Corwin is especially talented in financial management and QuickBooks. He can offer help in getting your finances in order as well as help in personnel and governance issues.

Darlyne Franzen: Associate Director, Billings Farm and Museum
Darlyne specializes in visitor services, promotion and public relations, membership development, and personnel management.

Elizabeth Fitzsimmons: Independent Consultant, Shoreham
Liz focuses on organizational development (governance, planning, fundraising, membership), marketing, and public relations.

Tracy Martin: Director, Old Stone House Museum
Tracy offers experience in long range planning, managing volunteers and other administrative issues.

Exhibit Design
Jennifer Baker: Jennifer Baker Conservation, Burlington
Jennifer is both a trained conservator and a co-founder of an exhibit and design firm. She can either help address exhibit and space design concerns or environmental considerations for improved display of storage conditions.

Eric Bessette: Exhibits and Graphic Designer, Shadows & Light Design, Burlington
Eric offers wide experience in considering exhibit and space design and construction, lighting, and graphics.

Ken Pohlman: Exhibit Designer, Middlebury College Museum of Art.
Ken has led many workshops on creating exhibits for the small museum.

Education Programs
Rich Strum: Director of Interpretation and Education, Fort Ticonderoga, NY
Rich can teach museums and historical societies how to look at collections to develop school programs and education kits.

Geraldine Brown: Education Coordinator, Billings Farm & Museum
Geraldine has experience in developing education programs, especially those based on rural traditions, and successful relationships with schools.

Laurie Eddy: Chief Operating Officer, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Laurie has experience in developing standards-based education programs for schools.

Karen Petersen: Supervisor of School Programs, Shelburne Museum
Karen can offer consultations in program planning, school/museum partnerships, and corporate, foundation, and individual fundraising.

Exhibit Interpretation
Virginia Westbrook: Historical Consultant, Crown Point, NY
Virginia can help you learn how to improve the interpretation of historical collections and exhibits. She can also offer advice on organization, board building, and collecting issues.

Jean Burks: Curator of Decorative Arts, Shelburne Museum
Jean's area of interest lies in the decorative arts (such as furniture, metalwork, ceramics, and toys). She can help with curatorial and exhibit issues.

Registration
Deborah Haynes: Hood Museum of Art, Hanover
Deborah is responsible for the Hood’s computerized collection catalogue. She can help you face the process, decisions, and choices you must make if you want to computerize collections information.

Kellen Haak: Collections Manager/Registrar, Hood Museum of Art, Hanover, NH
Kellen has overall responsibility for all aspects of collections management including registration functions, storage, computerization and digitization, loans, insurance, packing, shipping, photographic rights, and reproduction. He has also authored collections management policies and disaster plans.

Public Relations
Elizabeth Fitzsimmons: Independent Consultant, Shoreham
Liz can help you figure out how to improve publicity, self promotion and image in the community.

Membership
Amy Farmer: Membership Coordinator, Shelburne Museum
Amy can help you learn how to improve your membership base and determine what benefits you can offer. She also works with volunteers and development.

Fundraising
Lauren Moye: Fairbanks Museum, St. Johnsbury
Lauren can help small institutions develop marketing and fund raising strategies.

Computers
Jon Mathewson: Museum Consultant, Middletown Springs
While Jon was at the American Museum of Fly Fishing, he designed a comprehensive collections management system for the computer. Jon can help you choose a system or begin to design your own.

Steve Walasewicz: Natural Resource Manager, St. Gaudens National Historic Site
Steve can help you plan a web site and teach you how to use html software. He is conversant in Front Page, Photoshop, Pagemaker and other programs useful for web design.

Mentors Especially for the Small Historical Society
Liz Shattuck Bless: Collections Manager, Sheldon Museum
Liz can help you establish a photograph archive, begin to organize your collection, organize and display your textiles, or create a thematic exhibit.

Jean Davies:
Jean was curator of the Pittsford Historical Society for 10 years. She has worked with historical societies who proceed without a building for their collections.

Don Miner: Vice President of St. Albans Historical Society and Director of St. Albans Historical Museum
Don's experience is in organizing and running a museum, planning and executing museum programs, and public relations.

David Wright: Middletown Springs Historical Society
David has been involved with fundraising, grant writing, building preservation and maintenance, as well as board-related issues such as nonprofit status, insurance, and preservation-related community action.

Eli Prouty: Volunteer Curator, Grafton Historical Society
Eli’s specialty is working with small institutions to learn about lighting and display techniques to improve the presentation of collections.

Lorna Quimby: President, Archivist, Curator, Peacham Historical Society
Lorna can help you assess your collections in order to put together innovative programs that fit with your mission, audience, and exhibits.