Ottawa, March 3, 2023
Message from the Executive Director and CEO
First off, I want to acknowledge all those professionals before me who trailblazed a path forward for our sector. I am deeply humbled and extremely honoured to act in this capacity to lead such an important organization for our country. As I begin my tenure as the Executive Director and CEO of the Canadian Museums Association (CMA), I felt it was important to share my thoughts and vision for the membership for the year ahead.
When I think about the work that lies before us, I reflected on the past 19 years working in this sector in my community at Six Nations of the Grand River and working at a cultural centre. It was important to really hone in on what was important for museums, cultural centres, and related cultural and heritage organizations.
What first comes to mind is the importance these organizations have to the communities in which we serve. The first pillar of my vision is Relationships. The relationship with the membership is vital to the success of the CMA. Ways in which these relationships are maintained will need to be reviewed and evaluated to ensure that the needs of the members are being addressed. The other relationship that will have to be re-connected with is the public sector (government, funding institutions, and other similar public organizations). A new relationship is with the private sector where there exists a number of new opportunities to grow our relationship between the CMA and Private sector.
The second pillar of my vision for the year ahead is Relevance. This is key for any organization and how it reflects its members and its communities. To understand what the members want there will need to be connections made with all the members to ensure their voices is heard and addressed. Relevance also requires that although much research and reports have been completed by the CMA over the years, do they still hold relevance today? If not, what next steps need to be taken so that they become relevant again.
The third pillar is Sustainability. Strategic initiatives really need to focus on the sustainability of the museum sector. Sustainability must look beyond the institution walls, but more closely at the sustainability of our workforce, the sustainability of our audiences, and most importantly the sustainability of our sector and what that means for many of our sites. Sustainability also needs to be reflective in our museum buildings and the ways in which as a sector we can address green initiatives in not only our infrastructure but how we deliver our programming and services. Our programming should also reflect what is happening on a global scale to address climate change and environmental issues in our communities.
I believe all three pillars are extremely important and are intrinsically intertwined in the work that must be done in the year ahead. The Canadian Museums Association has done some ground-breaking work in addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #67 as it relates to the Moved to Action Report. This work and advocacy will continue in this year ahead and our goal is to lead the way to support our members in the important work you all do in your communities.
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