Executive Director [Robert Russa Moton Museum, Farmville, VA]

The Museum Profile: The Robert Russa Moton Museum, a National Historic Landmark and Virginia’s leading civil rights museum, is located in Farmville, in Prince Edward County, Virginia. The mission of the museum is to preserve and constructively interpret the history of civil rights in education, specifically as it relates to Prince Edward County, and the leading role its citizens played in America’s transition from segregation toward integration. Moton strives to promote dialogue and advance positions that ensure empowerment within a constitutional democracy.

The former R.R. Moton High School was the site in 1951 of a student strike, which led to Prince Edward County’s inclusion as one of the five localities involved in the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. In the wake of Brown, the state of Virginia launched a campaign of Massive Resistance to thwart racial integration in the state’s public schools. In 1959, in defiance of a federal court order to desegregate, Prince Edward County officials defunded the public schools, effectively closing them. Schools in the county remained closed for five years, until the Supreme Court ordered their reopening in 1964 in Griffin v. Prince Edward. During the 1963-1964 school year, the U.S. Department of Justice helped to establish the Prince Edward Free Schools to provide school-age children with free education while the constitutional issues were fought out in the courts.

The Moton Museum was established in 1996 by the Martha E. Forrester Council of Women in an effort to save the former R. R. Moton High School from demolition. In 1998, the Moton High School was added to the National Historic Landmark registry. The Museum opened officially in 2001, operated by a volunteer Board of Directors. In early 2008, the Board of Directors hired the Museum’s first full-time Executive Director and set as its primary goal the renovation of the school building in order to house a permanent, professional exhibit. The $5.5 million project was completed in April 2013 with the opening of a six-gallery, 5,500 square foot exhibition entitled The Moton School Story: Children of Courage.

Today the museum is governed by the Moton Council, representing local community stakeholders, and a Board of Trustees, created in 2012 to advance the museum’s aspirations for statewide representation and national impact. The museum currently employs two full-time staff members and benefits from volunteers and interns who assist with tours, educational programs, and fundraising. In July 2015, the Moton Museum and Longwood University, Moton’s neighbor to the north, finalized an affiliation agreement in which Longwood would provide operational, financial, and administrative support for the Museum. The Moton Museum will continue to maintain its independent status as a non-profit organization.

A comprehensive university with a strong liberal arts foundation, Longwood has a distinctive mission to develop citizen leaders who are prepared to make positive contributions to the common good. Longwood recently celebrated its 175th anniversary and is the third-oldest public university in Virginia, behind William & Mary and the University of Virginia. Longwood is part of the proud tradition of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Today Longwood has more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students and more than 34,000 alumni. Roughly one hour’s drive from Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Richmond, the Moton Museum is located in the historic two-college community of Farmville, the county seat of Prince Edward County, Virginia, with a population of almost 23,000 people. Farmville is a commercial, shopping, and recreational hub for the region, and sits at a historic crossroads near where the Civil War drew to a close and powerful strides in the civil rights movement began.

Position Description: The Executive Director collaborates positively and professionally with Moton Board of Trustees members, Moton Council members, Museum staff, volunteers, the Longwood University community, and other stakeholders to further the mission of the Museum. Annual evaluations of the Executive Director will be conducted by the University Liaison to the Moton Museum, in conjunction with the Moton Council.

As the Museum’s chief development officer, the Executive Director is responsible for all fundraising activities including the establishment of strategies, plans, and goals; prospect and grant research; creation of proposals and budgets; and donor cultivation, stewardship, and recognition. The Executive Director will work in coordination with the Longwood University Office of Institutional Advancement and Office of Sponsored Programs and Research. The Executive Director also collaborates with the Moton Board of Trustees, the Moton Council, and Longwood University to develop a strategic vision and plan for the Museum.

As the Museum’s chief administrator, the Executive Director supervises all financial and operational activities. The Executive Director supervises all Museum personnel in accordance with all personnel policies and procedures. The Executive Director also guides the development of educational programming, including professional development for staff members and docents, and works with Museum staff to plan and execute group tours and special events. The Executive Director also works with the Moton Council and Board of Trustees to schedule and staff board meetings, maintain relations with members, and update and engage members in Museum activities.

The Executive Director serves as Chief Information Officer for the Museum, responding to inquiries and concerns about the Museum from reporters, scholars, museum guests, and the general public. The Executive Director works with Museum staff to ensure that all social media, publications, and marketing materials are consistent with the Museum’s mission and brand. The Executive Director positively represents the Museum and its mission within the broader community and maintains and enhances, in conjunction with the University Liaison, community relations and the integrity of the affiliation with Longwood University.

The Candidate Profile: The successful candidate should be an energetic and collaborative leader who fully embraces the Museum’s mission and the Museum’s contribution to the educational mission of Longwood University. She or he serves as an advocate for the knowledge that can be gained from the direct study of, and engagement with, Prince Edward County’s civil rights history.

The successful candidate should possess experience in setting direction and developing and implementing strategic initiatives within an organization, as well as a track record of successful fundraising. The successful candidate should possess a dynamic leadership style and proven ability to build a team of staff, volunteers, and interns to carry forward the Museum’s mission. Strong interpersonal skills in public relations and in communicating and collaborating with constituents from the university, community, and K-12 school partners and audiences are essential.

The candidate must be able to establish credibility and genuine exchange with visitors, the community, and faculty and students from a wide range of disciplines. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to professional communities to advance and promote an understanding of Prince Edward County’s unique contribution to American history. Advanced degree in field required; terminal degree (PhD, JD, MFA, etc.) preferred. Field of specialization of candidate is open. Specialists in American and civil rights history, constitutional law, public policy, education, museum studies, non-profit management and public history are all encouraged to apply. The successful candidate should possess substantial experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities described above. Experience in a museum setting, non-profit or cultural institution strongly preferred.

Application Guidelines: This is a restricted administrative and professional position. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Commonwealth of Virginia benefits accompany this position. A successful finger-based print background investigation is required. Review of applications will begin immediately and the position will be opened until filled. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

Submit a letter of interest, contact information for three references, resume, “Release of Information,” and “EEO Data Collection Form” (found on our website at http://www.longwood.edu/hr/24381.htm, under “Recruitment and Hiring” – the EEO form is voluntary) (indicate position #GA224) to:

Human Resources

Longwood University

201 High Street

Farmville, VA 23909

Phone: 434-395-2074

Fax: 434-395-2666.

Email: humres@longwood.edu