President/CEO [Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Fishers, IN]

BACKGROUND

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park (Conner Prairie), one of the most innovative and inventive history venues in the US, is seeking as its next President/CEO a dynamic and visionary leader dedicated to experiential learning. In the past 10 years, Conner Prairie has undergone an extraordinary transition from a traditional living history museum to an expansive interdisciplinary experience that turns guests into participants in the story of Indiana. This unique approach is called “Opening Doors.”

History as it is delivered at Conner Prairie immerses its guests in participatory multi-sensory experiences. Through meaningful interaction with interpreters and other interpretive vehicles, Conner Prairie exhibitions bring to vivid life the history of Indiana and its connections to today. The site includes five outdoor and two indoor exhibits. Guests can float 350 feet above the Conner Prairie grounds to experience an 1859 balloon voyage, engage in a military drill in the town of Dupont, IN, just after Confederates raided during the Civil War or build electrical currents to understand the process of rural electrification in Indiana.

The museum’s most recent exhibit, Create.Connect: Celebrating Indiana’s Innovative Spirit, developed with major support from the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Duke Energy, exemplifies Conner Prairie’s commitment to and national leadership in expanding the breadth of learning opportunities and exploration through integrating history with STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities. Create.Connect’s funding supports the adoption and dissemination of its learning model nationally.

Located in central Indiana, a half-hour from downtown Indianapolis, Conner Prairie’s indoor and outdoor exhibitions and programs are situated within the 850 idyllic acres of what was formerly farm and prairie land..

One of the primary goals of the ambitious Strategic Plan is to make Conner Prairie a fully year-round venue. At present, only the 70,000 square foot Welcome Center operates 12 months a year. In addition to Create.Connect, the Welcome Center housesDiscovery Station, which helps young guests expand their skills and abilities while playing and exploring, and Craft Corner, where children express their artistic side with arts and crafts projects. The Welcome Center also houses the Conner Prairie Store and the administrative offices. Another key growth area focuses on increased visibility of Conner Prairie on the national scene, both as a leader in exploring the intersection of history and the field of dynamic experiential lifelong learning and as a destination for a broader national audience in terms of attendance and shared research.

Programs abound and a variety of summer camps including Science Camp for Girls are immensely popular, attracting 2,113 campers in summer 2015. Conner Prairie gets 60,000 school visitors annually. Follow the North Star, in which students take on the roles of escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad, is widely embraced by middle schools and acclaimed nationally for its thoughtful exploration of race relations.

A key component of its Strategic Plan is the enrichment of adult programming. Highlights of present programming for adults include Prairie Plates, a series of events pairing one?of?a?kind culinary experiences with unique Conner Prairie settings. A variety of classes and workshops including Conner Prairie at Dawn for photographers, artists and hikers is available year-round. One event, History on Tap, has been particularly successful at attracting new audiences to the Museum. Also, not to be overlooked, is the extraordinarily successful “Symphony on the Prairie,” a series of unique summertime performances hosted at Conner Prairie under an arrangement with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. These performances have been well attended for over 20 years, often drawing nightly crowds of 3,000 visitors or more, creating unprecedented visibility that has yet to be fully tapped.

Conner Prairie is the only Smithsonian Institution affiliate in the State of Indiana. The affiliation provides Conner Prairie with a variety of resources including speakers, artifacts and professional development opportunities. It offers enrichment for guests and staff alike.

Conner Prairie operates with a budget of approximately $11.5 million and has an endowment of approximately $100 million. The full-time staff numbers 89 with a seasonal and part-time staff of 238. There is a 40-person Board of Directors.

THE POSITION

Reporting Relationships

The President/CEO (CEO) reports to the Board of Directors, is an ex officio member of the Board and works closely with the Board Chair and all standing and ad hoc committees. She/he also has working relationships with the Museum Ambassador Council, the Conner Prairie Foundation, the Conner Prairie Alliance and the Conner Prairie Horizon Council. The CEO has five direct reports: Board Liaison & Executive Assistant, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Vice President/CFO, Chief Development Officer and Vice President of Exhibits, Programs, Interpretation & Facilities.

Primary Responsibilities

The CEO will provide Conner Prairie with strategic, collaborative leadership, vision and effective management and programmatic inspiration guided by its mission and values.

Together with a talented and passionate staff, she/he will ensure Conner Prairie’s continued programmatic success and excellence. She/he will build on its recently formed relationship with the National Science Foundation and develop new avenues for exciting hands-on programs that integrate history and STEM learning.

The CEO will be Conner Prairie’s spokesperson and public face regionally and nationally. The CEO will take leadership in the organization’s fundraising efforts, working closely with the Chief Development Officer and the Board to increase contributed income from all sources.

The CEO will work with the Board to plan the implementation of Conner Prairie’s strategic imperatives: Become a year-round operation; Expand programs and events that engage adults; Increase visitation, support and national reputation; Complete a new plan for exhibits; Grow annual contributed income; and Leverage technology to strengthen the visitor experience.

More information about Conner Prairie is available at: http://www.connerprairie.org.

Immediate Priorities

The CEO’s immediate priorities will be to:

Thoroughly understand all facets of Conner Prairie and gain a comprehensive knowledge of its history, programs, purpose, staff, operations, organizational structure, constituencies and base of financial support.

Assess the current operating structure, including program implementation, staff performance and need for additional staff; report findings to the Board on needed improvements or changes; suggest future initiatives to build on Conner Prairie’s strengths in programming and visitor experience and avenues for increasing visibility, visitation and contributed income.

Get to know individual Board members and understand their strengths and capabilities, working closely with them to bring forth their best ideas, efforts, resources and contacts.

Become familiar with and reach out to community leaders in Hamilton County and Indianapolis and to Conner Prairie’s stakeholders, volunteers, patrons, and fellow cultural institutions’ leaders. Develop mutually beneficial and productive relationships with them.

Develop an understanding of and reach out to those in the national community of museums, leading researchers in experiential learning and followers of Conner Prairie’s successes.

Ongoing Responsibilities

• Ensure that day-to-day operations and programs are professionally and efficiently managed; encourage an environment of open communication and partnership among staff and with the Board.
• Enhance Conner Prairie’s dynamic and forward-looking position in the museum and educational world; respond creatively to opportunities for cooperation and partnerships with other institutions that will advance its mission. With the Marketing and Communications Vice President, devise marketing and public relations programs to increase exposure and heighten visibility; create compelling ways to promote Conner Prairie’s new initiatives, particularly its commitment to innovative programming integrating STEM learning and history.
• Manage operational resources (staff and finances); motivate, inspire and communicate effectively and frequently with staff, understand their strengths and concerns and encourage each staff member’s professional growth.
• Provide direction for future programs that will enhance audiences’ learning experience and enjoyment by employing scientific principles to teach history and inspire imagination and curiosity.
• Ensure that the Board is provided with timely, clear and adequate information, particularly concerning its finances and commitments; uphold best practices in Conner Prairie’s governance and management.

LOCATION

Fishers is one of 8 communities in Hamilton County, adjacent to Indianapolis. The entire Indianapolis metropolitan area has 2,000,000 inhabitants. Fishers, with a population of 78,000 and its next?door city Noblesville, with 57,000 residents, are the two fastest growing communities in Indiana. Fishers is a half-hour drive to the Indianapolis International Airport.

Indiana University?Purdue University-Indianapolis, Indiana University in Bloomington, Purdue University in West Lafayette, the University of Notre Dame near South Bend, Ball State University in Muncie and Indiana State University in Terre Haute are all within an easy drive from Indianapolis.

The Indianapolis area has a rich and expansive list of cultural attractions, including the world?famous Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Indianapolis Zoo, the NCAA Headquarters and Hall of Champions, the Indiana Historical Society, the Indiana State Museum, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and White River State Park with 200 acres in downtown Indianapolis. A scenic canal and the award?winning Indianapolis Cultural Trail connect many of these destinations. Indianapolis is also home of the Indianapolis 500, the greatest spectacle in racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Indiana Pacers.

For more information about the position, go to: http://www.opportunityresources.net/clients/active-searches

Position Requirements

Among the most important qualities the successful candidate will have are leadership skills, programmatic creativity, drive and enthusiasm for the job to be done.

The CEO will play a critical role in every aspect of Conner Prairie’s future direction and success and will have the opportunity to take a financially stable, ambitious, well-regarded institution to new levels of excellence and growth. Interest, determination and ability to meet this challenge are required.

The successful candidate will be an innovative, inspiring, energetic and collaborative leader who fully embraces Conner Prairie’s mission.

The successful candidate will have at least ten years of senior level experience in a similarly complex cultural or other organization in which the skills and characteristics being sought have been demonstrated. Master’s degree in a relevant field is required. A dynamic leader from the for-profit world with extraordinary relevant skills will also be considered.

In addition, the candidate will have the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Significant knowledge and appreciation of, and/or interest in, American history, science, education and experiential learning.
• Ability to lead, collaborate with and motivate a talented and passionate staff.
• Reputation as an innovative and strategic thinker with ability to review and analyze complex issues, evaluate solutions and adopt an effective course of action.
• Proven facility working with finances, developing and monitoring expenses and income budgets.
• Demonstrated capabilities in fundraising.
• Ability to establish credibility and trust with staff, Board, constituents and the community at large.
• Ability to develop a partnership with the Board and other stakeholders that will have particular importance for the expansion and growth of Conner Prairie.
• Comfort with new technologies.
• Exceptional listening skills, comfortable receiving input from many sources and equally at ease as a leader or team member.
• A positive outlook and sense of humor.

Address inquiries, submissions and recommendations, in confidence, to:
Freda Mindlin or Nancy Kaufman
Opportunity Resources Inc.
search@opportunityresources.net (e-mails are preferred)