Museum Association of New York Appoints Executive Director

Museum Association of New York Appoints Executive Director

 

The Board of Directors of the Museum Association of New York is pleased to announce Devin Lander as the organization’s new Executive Director, effective June 2, 2014. Devin brings years of legislative and advocacy work built on a foundation of museum and cultural heritage experience.

“I am honored by the opportunity afforded me by the Board to lead our state’s Museum Association,” Lander said. “New York State is home to one of the world’s greatest and most diverse collection of museums, historical sites, zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums. These institutions of optimism provide world-class education and are major economic drivers for the entire state. I am excited to continue, and expand upon, MANY’s important mission; to support and grow the capacity of the museum industry, provide assistance to museum professionals, volunteers, and board members, and ensure that the vital educational mission of our museums is sustainable and able to flourish well into the future.”

Devin joins MANY after six years with the New York State Assembly as Deputy Legislative Director for Assemblyman Steve Englebright. During his time in the Legislature, Devin worked as the Committee Clerk for both the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development and the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Devin also acted as the Staff Director for the Historic Hudson-Hoosic Rivers Partnership, a public-benefit corporation created by the NYS Legislature to preserve, enhance, and develop the historic, agricultural, scenic, natural, and recreational resources and the waterways within the Northern Hudson River region. Through the tradition of municipal home rule, the Partnership fosters collaborative projects with non-profit and governmental entities with an emphasis on agricultural and open space protection, economic and tourism development, and the protection and interpretation of our natural and cultural heritage.

Before joining Assemblyman Englebright’s staff, Devin worked as an archivist at the State University of New York at Albany’s Department of Special Collections and Archives and a contract consultant for the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s Bureau of Historic Sites. A published historian specializing in post-World War II social and cultural movements, Devin holds a B.A. in American History from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and a M.A. in Public History from the University at Albany and is a lifetime member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society.

Joining Devin in MANY’s Troy, New York office as Associate Director is Dana Krueger. Dana has many years of experience with the organization, serving as MANY’s Associate Director for Programs for the past year and formerly as a board member of Museumwise, participating throughout its consolidation process with MANY. Previously she held positions as Registrar for the Emerson Gallery at Hamilton College and as the Collections Manager at the Madison County Historical Society. Dana received her M.A. in Museum Studies as well as her M.S. in Art Education from Syracuse University. She earned a B.A. in Studio Art at St. Lawrence University. Dana also currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in Syracuse University’s Museum Studies program.

Catherine Gilbert will transition out of the Association to pursue new opportunities. Catherine began with the organization in 2008 as Director of Museumwise and continued as director of MANY after the 2012 consolidation of the two organizations.