The Executive Director of the Fort Walla Walla Museum, a regional history museum, acts as the primary leader, strategist, and public face of the institution. The Executive Director is responsible for the fulfillment of the Museum’s mission along with the operational demands of running a non-profit organization and reports to the FWWM Board of Directors.

Strategic Vision and Leadership: Articulate three to five personal values that serve as operational drivers in all decisions and action, including all personal relationships. Demand a sense of accountability as a core element of the daily working culture involving the executive director, staff and volunteers in their interaction with everyone the Museum touches.

Mission Advancement: Passionate about and dedication to the Museum’s Mission, Vision, and Values to inspire and guide staff and volunteers to serve the community and be grateful for those efforts.

Organizational Growth: Advance programs, exhibitions and collections to new levels of quality, visibility, and regional impact.

Community Engagement: Serve as the lead advocate and ambassador for the museum, fostering relationship with local government, community partners, supporters, donors, and tourism organizations and forming and maintaining partnerships. Community minded by understanding how the Museum and regional heritage relate to our community and involvement in various committees and organizations. The public face of the Museum, a proven teacher with strong public speaking skills and the ability to share stories for all age groups through presentations, exhibits, publications.

Fundraising and Revenue Generation: Financial development skills with individuals, businesses, government and grant sources with a focus on managing relationships with key supporters, building community support, and show gratitude to supporters.

Financial and Operational Management: Develop and monitor an annual budget to ensure fiscal responsibility and sustainability, and the ability to develop and work within a realistic budget.

Earned Income: Oversee continued growth in revenue-producing programs, such as museum shop, admissions, Living History, and facility rentals.

Administration: Oversee daily operations including financial systems, HR policies, and technology.

Facilities: Oversee the maintenance, restoration of facilities and Museum grounds, including the implementation of recommendations from the Museum’s Life Cycle Committee to cure and prevent deferred maintenance.

Collections: Ensure the museum’s collections, archives, and research library are properly managed in accordance with best practices. Experience with 19th and early 20th century material culture and/or Walla Walla regional history and understanding what is significant.

Programs: Guide the development of exhibits, educational programs, and publications that honor the region’s cultural heritage, including its shared traditional values, and young people as well as older residents and continuing to cultivate a meaningful relationship with Tamastslikt Cultural Institute.

Board Relations and Governance: Collaborate with the Board of Directors on governance, policy development, strategic planning, and recruitment.

Reporting: Inform the Board about the museum’s financial health, operations, risks and opportunities.

Team Development and Management: Mentor, supervise delegate and retain a high-performing staff and volunteers.

Culture: Foster a positive work environment by defining and living core values at all times and in all situations with integrity and respect for all. 

Preferred Qualifications: Experience: Three to five years of leadership experience in a nonprofit, history, cultural or museum setting.

Education: A master’s degree in history, museum studies, public history or nonprofit management or in related fields.

Skills: Demonstrated success in fundraising, financial management, strategic planning, public speaking, and technology proficiency.

Expertise: Possess knowledge in one or more categories of the FWWM artifact collection. 

Job description, museum overview, applicant packet are available at http://fwwm.org/edsearch

Applications for the position may be emailed to EDsearch@fortww.us

No phone calls, please. Questions about the process may be emailed to EDquestion@fortww.us

About Fort Walla Walla Museum

Fort Walla Walla Museum (FWWM) is a regional history museum in Southeast Washington that traces its roots to 1886 when a group of local citizens formed a pioneer association. It is the oldest history museum in the Pacific Northwest. After a decade being housed at Walla Walla City Hall, the museum received 501(c)(3) status in 1967 and opened at its current 15-acre location in 1968. Serving adults and children from Southeast Washington and adjacent Oregon and Idaho, and visitors from 47 states and 18 countries, FWWM shares stories about regional history ranging from 1805 through the 1940s. The Walla Walla region has been known as the Cradle of Inland Northwest history for more than a century. The Museum’s collection of historical items is used to help share those stories in 30,000 square feet of exhibit space and a pioneer village. Exhibits cover all aspects of regional history with a strong focus on horse-era agriculture. Offering a very active event and special programs calendar, FWWM has also served more than 100,000 kids in an admission-free school tour program. Researchers enjoy the extensive library of 6,000 books and numerous journals. The Museum works closely with the ...Homeland Tribes and is a key partner in the local tourism industry that is focused on world-class wine, food, art, and outdoor activities, all placed in the beautiful, historic setting of the Walla Walla Valley. A group of more than 100 volunteers and 8 staff members work throughout the many areas of the Museum’s operations. The Museum has practiced sound fiscal management and is currently undergoing an Endowment Campaign to create solid financial stability for future generations. Our Mission:  Fort Walla Walla Museum’s mission is to deepen the sense of community within the Walla Walla region by safekeeping the past, informing the present, and shaping our future.  Our Vision:  We envision a community gathering place where children and adults come to form enduring relationships through stories that inspire us all to build a shared future. Our Values: We prize historical accuracy and the artifacts that tell our stories. We value educational programs and exhibits that preserve and represent the stories of all people in our region.  We work to build relationships among all ages and cultures that lead to a sense of place and belonging. We collaborate with other organizations to further our mission. Our Tagline: Making stories matter. 

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Connections working at Fort Walla Walla Museum