President’s Address Matt Davis

semc president’s address

Greetings, SEMC Members!

It is an honor to address you for the first time as president of the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), and I hope that you have all had a productive fall. SEMC 2022 was an amazing gathering which provided colleagues a chance to connect, engage, and learn from a diverse array of perspectives and session presentations. Participants also enjoyed the opportunity to explore three separate communities in Northwest Arkansas, engage in new session features like Table Talk, and may have even run into a movie star or two on their way in or out of the airport.

I would like to thank our conference host committee, program committee, and all of our Northwest Arkansas partners for putting together a stellar program. Additionally, we are fortunate to have an outstanding Executive Director in Zinnia Willits who labored to develop and successfully implement the first multicity conference in the organization’s history. SEMC staff members Carla Phillips and Heather Nowak also did a fantastic job in managing registrations, answering questions, and helping solve various logistical challenges. I hope you will join me in thanking our outstanding staff for all of their hard work! Thanks as well to all the session presenters, industry partners, and conference volunteers who shared their talents and time at this year’s annual meeting. Finally, thanks to our outstanding leadership council and outgoing president Heather Marie Wells for their service to the organization. The SEMC Council works throughout the year to support our members and I would like to thank each of them for their service.

In closing, I want to thank the membership for their trust in electing me to this position. SEMC has a bright future ahead as we turn the page and look toward 2023. We are looking forward to the return of the Jekyll Island Management Institute, continued relevant virtual programming, and a strong conference in Louisville, Kentucky. I am excited about the coming year and would like to wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season!

Best, — Matt S. Davis, SEMC President

Susan B. Anthony Museum & House