Director of Partnerships and Site Interpretation [Woodlawn/Pope-Leighey House]

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Site Interpretation and Partnerships at Woodlawn/Pope-Leighey will utilize a high level of expertise and experience in interpretive planning and programming, marketing, and event promotion and management to play a central role in the re-imagination of this iconic historic site. The Director of Interpretation and Partnerships will collaborate with the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture to implement joint mission-driven programming that interprets the history of the site; expands the number of – and revenue generated from – private rental events in close collaboration with Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s 550 Catering; develop and manage a well-trained staff for private rental events; and contribute to the integration of the site’s history with new commercial ventures, including private rental events and potential new uses at the historic barn complex.

The Director of Site Interpretation and Partnerships will supervise and manage a staff of two full-time employees (the Preservation Manager and the Visitor Services Manager), and reports to the Vice President for Historic Sites as a function of the site’s current designation as a National Treasure.  The Director also will interface frequently with the technical services staff of the National Trust Sites Department, including the staff architect, museum collections manager, and business administration staff members.  The Director of Site Interpretation and Partnerships will also interact with staff across the National Trust in marketing, public affairs, legal, and other divisions, as well as with peers at other National Trust Historic Sites.  The successful candidate will also serve as the primary point of contact with the Woodlawn Advisory Council, comprised of approximately five volunteer members, who offer support and assistance in fundraising and community connections.  Finally, the Director will be expected to build and maintain relationships with various local organizations, event planners, and potential partners.

SITE DESCRIPTION

The Woodlawn property was originally a part of George Washington’s land holdings and subsequently the site of a farming operation by Quakers that demonstrated how an agricultural enterprise could operate without the labor of enslaved people on the eve of the Civil War.  Over the course of the 20th century, the property was owned and improved by a range of influential individuals.  Among the most significant additions to the property after construction of the main house was a complex of agricultural buildings—a corncrib, dairy, large bank barn, and carriage shed—that date from the early 20th century.

Woodlawn began to operate as a house museum in 1949 and was purchased by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1951, making it the organization’s original historic site. A Federal-style mansion constructed in 1800-05 for George Washington’s nephew, Lawrence Lewis, and his bride Nelly Parke Custis (Martha Washington’s granddaughter) anchors the historic core of the property.  In 1964, a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home, the Pope-Leighey House, was moved to a portion of the property to prevent its demolition.  Today, the entire Woodlawn/Pope-Leighey site includes 126 acres, 11 roofed structures, and a collection of furnishings and decorative arts related to the Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey residences.

In 2009, intent on reaching new audiences and ensuring the site’s long term sustainability while celebrating its history, the National Trust embarked on an innovative partnership with the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture and the Neighborhood Restaurant Group to link the property—once again—to farming, education, and social justice by re-imagining it as a place for people to eat, learn, and garden as a part of the “farm to table” movement.  Currently, Arcadia operates the four-acre Arcadia Farm at Woodlawn that offers farm camps, K-12 field trips, special fundraising and community events, and is the base of operations for a mobile market that sells high quality, locally grown, sustainably produced farm products at affordable prices in low-income, food-insecure communities.

The Federal-era Woodlawn mansion has recently undergone a comprehensive, high-quality preservation and rehabilitation campaign that included careful conservation of all windows, doors, and shutters; slate roof and gutter replacement; extensive masonry and drainage system repairs; and ADA-accessibility upgrades. Repair and rehabilitation of another historic residence and garage on the property is currently underway and scheduled to be completed by fall 2014.  Repairs to Pope-Leighey’s siding have also been completed recently, and roof repairs and re-staining of the siding are scheduled for completion in fall 2014.

Upgraded event facilities for the site are currently in design development. These improvements will sit lightly on the historic landscape and offer highly flexible and functional space for a range of private and public events.  With these new facilities, the National Trust expects to significantly increase both public programming in cooperation with Arcadia and private event rentals with a strong interpretive component.

The National Trust is also engaged with Arcadia and Neighborhood Restaurant Group in planning and design to establish a variety of nonprofit and for-profit uses in the historic barn complex in a way that highlights locally produced agricultural products and tells the stories of these buildings, their historic uses, and the people who worked in them.  Concurrent with this adaptive re-use of the barn complex, the Federal Highway Administration is constructing a new and expanded Route 1 on land currently owned by the National Trust that is located south of the barn complex.

The collaborations with Arcadia and Neighborhood Restaurant Group at Woodlawn are an important and high-profile prototype in the National Trust’s strategic priority to re-imagine historic sites for the 21st century. In 2011, Woodlawn was designated a National Treasure, bringing a multi-disciplinary team from across the National Trust together with outside partners and consultants to realize a financially and culturally sustainable future for the site that can also serve as a model for other historic sites around the country.

DUTIES

• Develop and implement innovative, collaborative programming with Arcadia and Neighborhood Restaurant Group that expands the interpretation of the site’s history, as well as the audiences served and the public benefit provided by the site.
• Participate in the National Treasure team and the design team for enhanced event facilities.
• In consultation with the National Trust, prepare and monitor the annual budget, providing excellent fiscal oversight, controlling receipts and expenditures, meeting budgeted financial objectives, and exercising delegated procurement responsibilities in compliance with National Trust procedures.
• Support active and appropriate maintenance and conservation of the site’s buildings, grounds, and collections, as managed by the Preservation Manager, and the ongoing daily operations of the site as managed by the Visitor Services Manager.
• Develop and implement interpretive planning related to public programming, private rental events, and new commercial uses that is consistent with the goals of the National Trust for the site’s long-term sustainability.
• Provide leadership in developing creative and entrepreneurial use and interpretation of the site that moves it away from the traditional historic house museum model, and toward one that connects more with the broader community through successful partnerships and programming.
• Provide excellent staff management, offering timely and consistent guidance and performance feedback, encouraging professional development, and fostering a team-based approach to all operations.
• Interface with Woodlawn’s Advisory Council, a volunteer body that offers fundraising support and community links to achieve the site’s goals, working closely with the Chair and other members to ensure timely preparation and delivery of meeting materials, developing fundraising and programming goals, and ensuring their experiences and insights are factored into the overall life of the site.
• Serve as the site’s principal staff liaison and represent the site and the National Trust at professional meetings and public forums, and within the community and state.
• Participate in meetings, initiatives, and programs of the National Trust.

• At least 10 years of professional level experience, including experience with budgeting, staffing, supervising professionals and leading teams to generate high quality results, with at least 5 years of demonstrated success in business development and/or historic site management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success in development and implementation of innovative interpretive programming and special events.
• Demonstrated success in creative marketing and/or non-profit fundraising.
• Demonstrated success in budget and project schedule development and management.
• Demonstrated collaborative spirit evidenced by comfort with a fluid, dynamic workplace that may involve utilization/lending of staff to/from other parts of the National Trust.
• Demonstrated success in building relationships with boards/councils, customers, diverse stakeholders, for-profit and nonprofit partners, and/or potential donors and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated understanding and commitment to the values and mission of the National Trust and the organization’s vision for its historic sites.
• Effective and inspiring team leadership skills, with a commitment to diversity, demonstrated by success in managing a varied staff with wide-ranging skill sets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong public speaking skills.
• Experience in programmatically engaging culturally diverse audiences, constituents and partners.
• Advanced analytical and problem solving skills, including issue identification and prioritization.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task efficiently and respond to a high volume of ongoing requests in a timely fashion.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and skill set essential.
• Ability to adapt and be flexible in a dynamic work environment
• Proven ability to continually develop skills related to use of rapidly changing technology and communications best practices.
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) required.  Advanced degree in non-profit or business management, history, historic preservation, or equivalent from an accredited institution a plus.

TO APPLY

Please email a resume with cover letter attached to 210420-CS-1123@nthp.hrmdirect.com