Joel Lefever New Director at Old York

HEAR YE!  HEAR YE!

Joel Lefever has been named the Museum of Old York’s new executive director by the Board of Trustees. Lefever will replace former executive director Scott Stevens, who has tendered his resignation.  The Search Committee, comprised of five current trustees and one former trustee, selected three finalists from 82 candidate resumes. All three had a 2-day site visit that included a tour of the Old York buildings and a variety of meetings with trustees, former trustees and staff.  (Continued below)

 

Lefever has twenty years of experience serving as museum curator, interim director, and ultimately president of the Holland Historical Trust in Michigan in 2005. During his tenure at the Trust, he helped shape the institution into an AAM-accredited museum, and expanded its physical space and financial resources. He worked closely with the board of trustees, oversaw a staff of fifteen paid employees and managed an annual operating budget of more than $600,000.

Lefever has also worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania, Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum in Rochester, New York and served as a cultural diplomat to St. Petersburg, Russia in 1997. He’s a published author, lecturer, and historian.

He holds a Master’s degree from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, where he specialized in museum administration and the history of American architecture and decorative arts. He is currently self-employed by Lefèbvre Museum Consulting.self employed with Lefèbvre Consulting as self-employed by Lefèbvre Museum Consulting. by Lefèbvre Museum Consultinga private museum consultantself-employed by Lefèbvre Museum Consulting. self-employed by Lefèbvre Museum Consulting. and lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Janet.

Joel noted “ I work well with people and am able to manage complex projects while motivating others in a shared vision to maintain the presence and relevance of history museums in the 21st century. “

When referencing the many accomplishments of the Museums of Old York, Lefever added that “Above all, the recently undertaken strategic planning process is imperative to creating a climate of visitor engagement in the stories of the people who have called York, Maine their home. Throughout my career my approach has been both to "take care of what we have" and—when opportunities arise—to build on past success to create an engaging and sustainable future.”

Charles Steedman, Board of Trustees Chair, said “The timing is right for an energetic, talented new director to lead Old York. On his departure, we salute Scott Stevens for the fine work he has done over the last 15 years to make Old York the strong organization it is today.”

The new director will begin his position May 14, 2012