RE:  Role of the Director
March 20, 1996

I've been a director...and not....and soon may be again.  The best
training for being a director is to have experience in museums.  Sure, it
helps to have special training in the discipline (historians in history
museums; scientists in science museums; etc.) but what really matters is
to simply to know what the hell  you're doing.  The museum side is about
knowing how museums function and trusting the specialists in their role.
The business side is about common sense and an understanding of numbers.
Board relations is about knowing people, educating them and motivating
them;  their role is macro and money.  Development is tenacity, sales, and
having a great partnership with the development officer.   Programs must
be true to the mission but are your first line of public engagement....so
they must engage.  If you don't like it all, if you don't thrive on
dealing with 15 different issues in one day, then the fun of being at the
helm will be lost on you.