Nestled in rural North Missouri, Marceline is the home of the Walt Disney Hometown Museum.  This is where the dream began.  The Disney family lived in Marceline during the formative years of Walt, Roy, and Ruth’s youth.  The museum houses over 3,500 artifacts of Walt Disney, his parents, and his siblings.  The museum is preparing for the next stage of its growth and is developing plans for fund raising initiatives to sustain that effort.  The Director will be tasked with developing educational programs, managing the day to day activities of the museum, developing and training the volunteer staff, assisting with fund raising, working with the city officials and in neighboring communities.  This person must have a love for small town life and everything Disney.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

The successful candidate will be a self starter, have strong leadership skills, experience and demonstrated results in educational and museum settings, will be an innovator, and will be capable of helping lead the museum towards fulfillment of its strategic plan.

  • Lead the museum’s approach to exemplary education programs
  • Ensure that all staff is trained to interact appropriately on the museum floor
  • Develop educational activities
  • Develop high level relationships with local schools and explore opportunities to expand these relationships to the collegiate level
  • Expand the reach of the museum be it attendance or geographic awareness.
  • Oversee the day to day operations and monitor the museum budget
  • Work with board members and others to secure grants and gifts for educational and other purposes
  • Explore other opportunities for events and programs.
  • Participate in and develop exhibits, marketing and promotional materials.
  • Founded in 1993, this is the only museum that depicts the early life of Walt Disney and his family.  This is where the dream began.  His brother Roy, sister Ruth, and their children who have donated thousands of items and money have endorsed the museum.   Mr. Disney and family have visited Marceline many times and donated, among other things, the Disneyland Midget Autopia to the City.  It is now in the possession of the museum and is the only Disneyland ride ever donated.  The museum is housed in the former Santa Fe depot; a two story brick building that has been renovated to house the many Disney artifacts.

    The museum’s mission is “The Walt Disney Hometown Museum celebrates the genius of Walt Disney, a cultural icon whose formative years in Marceline, Missouri would later inspire themes in his motions pictures and designs in his parks. Through a unique collection of photographs, letters and other artifacts, the museum preserves and tells the story of Walt Disney, his family and the influences he gathered in Marceline”.  It annually serves over 10,000 people via admissions and educational programs.  In addition, it supports the annual ToonFest in September, a 2-day festival, which invites four to six nationally recognized cartoonists and film producers to provide seminars for an ever expanding fine arts student population.  Students come from a range of 350 miles to attend the workshops/seminars.

Job Requirements

Job Requirements

  • He/she will posses strong organizational skills, must be detail oriented and have the ability to prioritize work and resources
  • Must be a self starter with a strong work ethic, professional demeanor, sense of urgency, a clear set of priorities and the ability to adapt to change
  • He/she will demonstrate clear ability to lead, motivate, inspire and support the capabilities of the team
  • He/she will have a proven track record with a bachelor’s degree in public history, museum studies, archival studies or related disciplines.  A teaching certificate and advanced degrees would be a plus.
  • He/she will understand and appreciate the role of the museum in the life of a vibrant rural community.
  • Be sensitive to the unique position of the Museum in the Disney cultural ecology that includes the Walt Disney Family Museum, the Walt Disney Corporation and related Disney historical sites.

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Contact Person: Ed Buckley Phone: 913-685-1233
Email Address: majorbuckley@aol.com Fax: 913-685-1237