What they call their work
What they do
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Professional Conference & Symposium Organization 2 activities
- Hosts specialized symposium on museum construction and renovationOrganizes and manages an annual international symposium focused on museum building projects, structured around Vision, Implementation, and Sustainability, with case studies and resources for architects, consultants, and museum leaders.
- Organizes annual conference and professional development events for museum professionalsHosts an annual conference, symposia, and workshops to foster excellence in museums through professional development, networking, and specialized programming for museum professionals in the Mid-Atlantic region.
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Community Safety and Conduct Enforcement 1 activity
- Enforces code of conduct at events and within membershipProvides a safe and inclusive environment at in-person and virtual events by enforcing a code of conduct, including removing individuals from platforms, rescinding awards, and revoking membership for violations.
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Mentorship and Professional Development Programs 1 activity
- Provides professional development resources and learning programsOffers online learning series, maintains career and HR resources, and shares professional development opportunities to support museum professionals, including a 4-session series for museum educators and a living Google Doc on diversity-focused programs.
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Academic Research Dissemination 1 activity
- Supports dissemination of research and next practices in museumsHosts and publishes white papers authored by members, including "Seizing the Moment: A Manifesto for Next Practice" (2021) and "Reflections on Re-Assessing Museum Purpose" (2023), to inform and educate the museum field on emerging research and practices.
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Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
- Supports student engagement and professional presentation skillsHosts poster presentations at events to enable undergraduate and graduate students in museum studies to showcase research and gain professional presentation experience.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Produces public video series featuring cultural sector leadersProduces the video series "Redefining Narrative," which features conversations with thought leaders in the cultural sector to broaden public understanding and discourse.
- Provides institutional assessment tools for museum sustainabilityOffers the Collections Sustainability Rubric, an assessment tool that enables museums to evaluate their institutional and collections health.
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Who runs it
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAHLA DESMIT | Executive Dir. | 40 | $71K |
- AMANDA GILLEN — Vice President
- ANGELA WINAND — Secretary
- ANNIE V F STORR — Director
- AVERIE SHAUGHNESSY-COMFORT — Director
- BETH VAN WHY — Director
- DAVID COLE — Treasurer
- DAVID SEARLES — Director
- DEBORAH SCHWARTZ — President
- JACQUELINE EYL — Director
- JEAN HERSHNER — Director
- MELISSA KIEWIET — Director
- NANCY PROCTOR — Director
- NICHOLAS WEST — Director
- SEAN BLINN — Director
- TONIKA BERKLEY — Director
Who they work with
- American Alliance of Museums Network — Recognized as a regional association by the American Alliance of Museums.
- American Alliance of Museums Partner — MAAM supports Museum Advocacy Day, an event hosted by the American Alliance of Museums.
- Field Museum Partner — Collaborates with the Field Museum to compile a list of diversity-focused collections management and registration programs.
- Humanities New York Funder — Funded the "Redefining Narrative" video series.
- Learning Unbound Partner — Collaborates with Learning Unbound to deliver a professional learning series for museum educators.
- Long Island Historical Societies Partner — Collaborates to promote the Long Island Museum Conference 2026
- Long Island Museum Association Partner — Collaborates to promote the Long Island Museum Conference 2026
- Museum Hue Partner — Partnership to distribute a living list of diversity-focused museum apprenticeship and internship opportunities.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Funder — Provided support for the "Redefining Narrative" video series.
- Unnamed In-Kind Sponsor Partner — Provided in-kind printing and design services for the 2024 Building Museums conference.
- Zubatkin Owner Representation Partner — Corporate Member of MAAM that contributes resources on capital project management during Covid-19.
- info@midatlanticmuseums.org Partner — Point of contact for submitting career, HR, and professional development resources
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Advocacy Empowerment Through Tools and Shared Narrativesmethodology: advocacy-empowermentBy equipping museum professionals with practical tools, shared stories, and actionable strategies, the organization amplifies advocacy capacity because empowered individuals are more effective in advancing the value and needs of museums within their communities and to policymakers.
- Field-Wide Capacity Building Through Collaborative Knowledge Sharingmethodology: field-wide_capacity_buildingBy aggregating and disseminating member-generated research, best practices, and professional resources through inclusive, community-sourced models, the organization strengthens regional museum capacity because shared knowledge enables broader adoption of innovative and equitable practices.
- Professional Development and Peer Dialogue for Institutional Changemethodology: professional-dialogue-for-institutional-changeBy fostering structured professional development, peer-to-peer dialogue, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, the organization strengthens individual museum professionals' capabilities and drives sustainable, inclusive institutional change in the museum sector because collective learning and networking improve decision-making and practice.
- Thematic and Collaborative Learning Frameworks for Sustainable Practicemethodology: thematic frameworkBy structuring professional development around interconnected themes—Vision, Implementation, and Sustainability—and using collaborative review processes, the organization ensures that learning is comprehensive and contextually relevant because thematic coherence and inclusive input improve the applicability and long-term impact of museum projects.