Notes from the Chair

Fall is in the air, which means that a new year is beginning for the MER Board. In August, the board had their annual planning meeting, where we welcomed new members and bade a fond farewell to those who are stepping down.

As you can see from the committee reports, the new board members have already rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work supporting the great efforts of the current board. It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to our newest board members: Gretchen Adams, The Paul Revere House; Cynthia Copeland, The New York Historical Society; David Ebitz, Pennsylvania State University; and Erik Holland, Minnesota Historical Society.

Change of course is part of life, but we will still miss Kim Hayden and Carolyn Rapkievian. In particular I would like to thank Kim for her service as Vice President. Of course, we cannot say enough good things about Linda Stevens, who as past-president just finished her last year as an ex-officio board member. Under her expert guidance, the by-laws of MER are being reviewed and rewritten. We will keep you posted.

It takes more than the board to keep this organization going. You might notice some changes at the MER office. After several years our amazing office manager, Suzanne Davis, has moved on. She left the office in great shape and we are now so lucky to have Sara Habich as our new office manager. Sara has quickly learned the ropes and will be happy to be of assistance to all members. The email for the office is still info@mer-online.org.

Last, but by no means least, we have an announcement regarding the Journal of Museum Education. MER has been fortunate to engage an outstanding editor-in-chief, who has volunteered her time and expertise to continue the JME tradition of producing a high-quality publication of which we can all be proud. Wendy Pollok will be stepping down as editor-in-chief. However, along with Gretchen Jennings, the previous editor, Wendy has agreed to stay on to as an advisor to our new editor, Monica Smith. We cannot thank Wendy or Gretchen enough for their past service, and are so grateful that they found Monica and are willing to be advisors through this transition.

It is a privilege to work with all of these smart, dedicated people, be they newcomers, established board members, or those to whom we are bidding farewell. These are folks who volunteer their time and energy to making Museum Education Roundtable and the Journal of Museum Education valuable to you, our members. As you read Network, you will see an increase in membership activities—we hope you’ll become involved. As always, we hope to hear from you and welcome your suggestions.