Like a new boat in its fleet, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) is welcoming change in its leadership, adding a sense of excitement on the 18-acre campus of the area’s premier cultural and historical institution ((In the spirit of full disclosure, I am an emeritus member of the museum’s board of governors).
Rocked by the Great Recession and forced to take drastic cost-cutting measures, the museum is embarking on a new voyage, buoyed by positive revenues and controlled expenses. The future looks promising. A capital drive focused on infrastructure and endowment is fast approaching.
Kristen Greenaway will assume the presidency of the museum on July 14, replacing Langley Shook, who is retiring after pulling the museum through serious economic turmoil. Kristen recently served as deputy director of development and external relations at Duke University’s Nasher Museum.
Selected after a nationwide search, Kristen brings fundraising experience, poise, enthusiasm and listening skills to a demanding job. While arriving amid very favorable and stable financial conditions, she must take control of an excellent staff and work with an active, involved board, while preparing for and leading a long-awaited capital campaign.
At the same time, Richard Tilghman, long and actively involved with non-profits on the Eastern Shore and Baltimore, just became the museum’s new chair, succeeding Tom Seip, a superb leader. Richard is an engaged, savvy and experienced board leader. He too understands the dual challenge of ensuring a smooth transition for Kristen and establishing a framework for a successful capital drive.
Surely the future looks promising for the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Still, a new president and a new chair of the board of governors must move quickly and smartly to lead the museum into a capital campaign and motivate a talented staff and energetic board to move forward in tandem. Langley Shook and Tom Seip have left a strong, secure foundation upon which to build.
Change, based on a strong strategic plan, is good and necessary. New leadership will provide the spark for constructive change. Hard work beckons all the players, both staff and board governors. The future is exciting.