Sara Poore departs fam after seven incredible years

By Caroline Ford

popular and impactful exhibitions and programs, garnered strong foundation support, and established solid relationships with our city and community partners.

It is with mixed emotions that the Fredericksburg Area Museum Board of Directors announce that after seven incredible years leading the Fredericksburg Area Museum (FAM), Sara Poore, President and CEO, has decided it's time to pursue the next chapter in her career. We know we speak for the entire FAM family and Fredericksburgcommunity when we say we will miss her leadership, dedication, and expertise that has served us so well.

Sara has a long and deep commitment to FAM. In 2007 she was hired as the first Director of Education and Programs, a role she held for five years. In 2016 she returned to FAM as President & Chief Executive Officer and steered the organization through the move back to its original home in historic Town Hall/Market House. During her tenure, she led a rebranding campaign, assembled an incredible staff, stewarded

Sara leaves FAM in a strong position bolstered by a talented and dedicated staff and solid financial foundation. The organization is well positioned for a bright and exciting future. We will find time to celebrate Sara in the months ahead, but for now we simply want to thank her for the unwavering commitment, enthusiasm, and motivation she has shown the museum during her time as President & CEO.

Sara's role and commitment to FAM will continue until a new leader is selected and comes on board, as she will remain with FAM in a part-time capacity to ensure continuity and continued growth while the search proceeds. "I feel very blessed to have been a part of the growth of this tremendous community organization and will continue to support the Board of Directors and staff through this transition. I am excited to see what the future holds for the museum," said Ms. Poore.

The Board of Director's first step in the process of finding a new leader was to identify a professional partner to help guide this process. The FAM has retained Good Insight, a Washington, DC-based executive search firm that works exclusively on nonprofit leadership transitions with a focus on community organizations in the arts and culture, education, social service, and environmental sectors. The Board was drawn to Good Insight's broad experience and understanding of FAM's needs, as well as their deep commitment to advancing equitable hiring practices and anti-racist principles in their search work.

Next Steps

We plan to advertise the position shortly and hope you'll join us to share that announcement widely among your networks. Good Insight will take confidential referrals and inquiries about the role at any time. To that end, you are welcome to email project lead Claire Huschle, at claire@good-iinsight org

As we value transparency, we will continue to share periodic updates with our FAM family. If all goes to plan, we will be proudly sharing the news of our next President & CEO by this summer.

We appreciate your continued support through this transition and beyond, and again thank Sara for all she's done for FAM and the Fredericksburg region.

For more information, please email Claire Huschle, at claire@goodinsight.org

The FAM collects, researches, interprets, teaches, and preserves the history, heritage, and culture of the Fredericksburg region We serve a diverse community through a commitment to inclusion, integrity, credibility, and relevance We will facilitate an understanding and appreciation of how the acts of those who preceded us have shaped this community and the nation at large- providing both lessons and inspiration as we work together to forge a greater community

Caroline Ford is the Director of Operations and Annual Giving