A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDERS
As 2021 comes to a close, we can’t help but take a look back at how far we’ve come over the last year. Our original goal was simple – assist museum workers who were unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognized that the field stood to lose a tremendous amount of experience and expertise, and we hoped to do something to prevent that. What started as a little online database has grown and changed in ways we never could have imagined.
In our first full year of operation, we’ve hosted free professional development webinars and employment roundtables for our members. We’ve worked hard to create a supportive community for museum professionals as they navigate the reduction of the museum labor force in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’ve facilitated eye-opening conversations about the future of museums. Most importantly, we’ve successfully connected museum professionals with employment opportunities.
We are so excited about what’s next for MuseumExpert.org. In 2022, we have plans to create a job seekers’ resource database so that unemployed and underemployed professionals have free, one-click access to training resources and educational webinars. We aim to completely redesign our website so that it is easier for employers to seek out talent on our platform. We want to continue providing no-cost career development webinars, and we want to ensure that we continue facilitating the important conversations about how covid has impacted the workforce and the priority of supporting diversity and inclusion in the future of museum staffing.
To the dedicated team of volunteers who make MuseumExpert.org happen – none of this would be possible without you. We appreciate the time, energy, and dedication that you devote to our organization, and we look forward to creating a more resilient museum community with you in 2022. Meet this amazing group of people by reading below.
And thank you to all of you, our members, partners, and friends, for supporting us, attending our webinars, and using our platform. Happy New Year and we’ll look forward to seeing you in 2022!
Best,
Walter Staveloz
Founder
Ellen Trappey
Co-Founder