Minnesota Historical Society names new director

Posted at 2:59 PM on March 28, 2011 by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Arts management, Museums, People

After a search which took a little longer than expected, the Minnesota Historical Society has named Stephen Elliott as its director and chief executive officer, effective May 1, 2011.

According to a release, Elliott has been the head of the New York State Historical Association since 2005, which involved leading both the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers' Museum. Before that, Elliott was the executive director of the First Freedom Center in Richmond, Va. He's also served on numerous museum, history, education and civic boards and currently is the chair of the American Association of State and Local History and the vice president of the Museum Association of New York.

Longtime MNHS director and CEO Nina Archabal announced her retirement in April of 2010, and expected to have a replacement ready when she stepped down at the end of the year. But when January came around, the search was not yet over, and so longtime staffer Michael J. Fox became interim director. Fox joined the Society in 1987; to ensure a smooth transition he will remain on staff until his planned retirement at the end of May.

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