NEMA Annual Conference 99th Annual NEMA Conference | Page 5

Wednesday , October 25

NEMA FITNESS
6:30 – 7:00 am
Join NEMA Director Dan Yaeger on a brisk morning walk along the beach .
EXHIBIT HALL OPEN
7:30 am – 6:30 pm
REGISTRATION OPEN
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
WELCOME COFFEE AND MORNING TREATS IN THE EXHIBIT HALL
7:30 – 8:30 am
NEMA CONFERENCE PREVIEW
7:45 – 8:15 am
First time at a NEMA conference ? Learn how to make the most of it . Join the NEMA YEPs ( Young and Emerging Professionals ) PAG , for coffee and tips for how you can use your time to your best advantage . Download the " Newcomer Handbook " HERE .
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
8:30 – 10:00 am
Hazards in Collections : What to Do When You Find Something Unusual Museums can contain incredibly diverse collections . This session is geared towards helping museums identify potential hazards within their collections which may be beyond their area of expertise . The panel is composed of individuals from four very different types of museums : history , anthropology , natural science , and document conservation . Each will give practical advice on identifying , stabilizing , moving , or storing potential collections hazardous while keeping staff , volunteers and visitors safe .
Facilitator : Shana Hawrylchak , Manager of Exhibits and Collections , EcoTarium , MA Speakers : Dan Lutts , Grants Manager , Wright Museum of World War II , NH ; David DeBono Schafer , Senior Collections Manager , Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology , Harvard University , MA ; Elena Cordova , Preservation Specialist , Northeast Document Conservation Center , MA
Making Sense of Numbers : Storytelling and Finance at Historic Sites Saving historic sites and interpreting them as museums is an integral form of museum work , but how many of us feel less than thrilled about the financial management of such sites ? This session addresses basic finance principles of in the context of the establishment and administration of historic sites and other small museums . Engaging financial oversight with mission , preservation , and interpretive priorities , this session provides new insights into how to cultivate confidence and strategy amongst museum administrators and board members without formal training in finance . Part pep talk , part discussion , this session addresses the preparation for and execution of sound and strategic financial planning in small museums with a particular interest in historic site management .
Facilitator : Rebekah Beaulieu , Associate Director , Bowdoin College Museum of Art , ME ( NEMA Board )
Non-Profit Health Check : Key Areas to Evaluate for Long Term Sustainability Money and staff are limited resources in nonprofits . Taking the time for a strategic or fiscal checkup may not be a priority . Should it be ? Using valuable lessons learned through museum transformation evaluations and eventual closures , the speakers will explore how nonprofits can learn from the struggles of local cultural institutions . We will discuss key areas within nonprofit infrastructure that have massive , long-term impact on fiscal health and mission focus , including : avoiding mission creep , the importance of a collections policy , avoiding the “ ostrich effect ” with budget issues , and how unrestricted donations can be harmful .
Facilitator : Todd Smith , Independent Strategic Consultant and Former Executive Director , American Textile Museum , MA
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