Executive Director [American Museum of Fly Fishing, Manchester, VT]

Description

The American Museum of Fly Fishing (the “Museum”), steward of the history, traditions and practices of the sport of fly fishing and a leading advocate for water conservation, seeks a new Executive Director.  Founded in 1968, the Museum collects, preserves, exhibits, studies and interprets the artifacts, art and literature of the sport and, through a variety of outreach platforms, uses these resources to engage, educate and benefit all.  The Museum fulfills this mission through public programs (including exhibitions, gallery programs, lectures, special events and presentations) and publications, including the quarterly journal, The American Fly Fisher.  The Museum’s five-acre campus in Manchester, Vermont comprises the Museum building, an office building and a casting pond.  Its permanent holdings, the finest angling collection in the world, include 22,000 flies, 1,000 reels, vintage bamboo rods from legendary makers, 90 linear feet of archival materials and 25 original works of art.  Support for the Museum comes from a 44-member board (with 50 authorized seats) and 1,000 paid members.  With an endowment of approximately $800,000 currently maintained on a “no spend” policy, the Museum has an annual budget of $700,00 and employs four full-time and three part-time staff, including a Deputy Director/Curator and a Development Associate.  From May to October, the Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday; from November to April, it is open Tuesday – Saturday.  Yearly attendance stands at 3,000.  The Museum was first accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 1995; it was reaccredited in 2009.

The Executive Director is the Museum’s chief executive and operating officer and directs all operational, administrative and programmatic aspects of the Museum.  He or she reports to the Board of Trustees and is responsible for the realization of the Museum’s mission, annual and endowment fundraising efforts, sound financial management, staff supervision and prudent stewardship of the Museum’s assets.  The new Executive Director will have the opportunity to enhance the Museum’s national visibility to fly fisherman and others engaged with the past and future of the sport and to national cultural, civic and conservation groups.

Review of candidate materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment.  A complete application will include a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae or résumé and contact information for five professional referees who can speak about the candidate’s qualifications for this specific opportunity.  Expressions of interest, applications, nominations and inquiries should be directed to the Museum’s search consultant, Chuck O’Boyle of C. V. O’Boyle, LLC, at chuck@cvoboyle.com, who will furnish a detailed specification and an internal job description upon request.  Telephone inquiries are also welcome and may be made to Mr. O’Boyle directly at (401) 919-5767.   All communications will be held in confidence and referees will not be contacted without the candidate’s prior consent.  The Museum is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to principles of affirmative action in its recruiting and hiring practices.

Requirements

Qualifications:  The Museum seeks a dedicated, affable, charismatic individual with at least five years of management and supervisory experience and the capacity for sound fiscal management, relationship building and resource development.  Candidates should demonstrate a life-long interest in fly fishing and connoisseurship of vintage fly-fishing rods, reels, flies and the like, or short of these, a willingness for self-immersion in the world of fly fishing and an eagerness to develop relationships within the angling community.  A record of success in the cultivation of members and donors, gift solicitation and the procurement of grant funding from foundations, government and individuals, is preferred.  Demonstrated proficiency in working with and empowering a voluntary board, in strategic planning, audience development, organizational capacity building and sustainability, are essential.  The ability to communicate clearly in written, electronic and spoken public communication is necessary.  An earned baccalaureate degree is required.