MAAM 2026 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

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8:00am EDT

Breakfast

Thursday October 8, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am EDT

Start your day with a boost! A light breakfast with coffee, tea, and morning bites will be available. Add this meal to your personal Sched schedule to sign up. It’s the perfect time to ease into the day, connect with colleagues, and plan your schedule.

Thursday October 8, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am EDT
Trayes Hall, Douglass Student Center 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 2

8:00am EDT

Exhibitor Hall Open

Thursday October 8, 2026 8:00am - 2:00pm EDT

NJC Lounge, Douglass Student Center

Explore the Exhibitor Hall to discover the latest products, services, and resources tailored for museums and cultural institutions. Connect with industry leaders, ask questions, and find innovative solutions to support your work.

Thursday October 8, 2026 8:00am - 2:00pm EDT
NJC Lounge, Douglass Student Center 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 2

8:00am EDT

Conference Check-In & Registration Desk

Thursday October 8, 2026 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT

Lobby, Douglass Student Center

Upon arrival, stop by the registration desk to check in, pick up your conference badge, and grab any event materials you’ll need. Our team will be ready to answer questions, help you get oriented, and make sure you’re set for a great conference experience.

Sponsors

Click Netherfield

Thursday October 8, 2026 8:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Lobby, Douglass Student Center 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 2

9:00am EDT

Bite-Sized Strategic Planning: 5 steps for success

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Creating a new strategic plan can feel like a daunting exercise. Explore potential roadblocks and pathways with experienced strategic planners from The Athenaeum of Philadelphia and The Rosenbach Library & Museum. In this session, we will look at five themes or questions executives and Board leadership will want to consider before launching a new strategic planning process. Whether you have never had a strategic plan at your institution or are an old hat at it, this session will energize you to develop a living strategic plan with broad stakeholder buy-in.

Session Takeaways:
•Learn what questions to ask to determine what type of strategic plan you need and if you need the help of a consultant
•Think about how to create the best planning team for a smooth and effective strategic planning process
•Identify strategies to create board alignment and staff buy-in so the plan stays in people’s hands instead of on the shelf
•Differentiate between internal and external goals to create a metric-based, but streamlined plan for public consumption and flexibility for your organization.

Speakers

Kelsey Scouten Bates

Executive Director, The Rosenbach Museum and Library

Kelsey Scouten Bates, John C. Haas Director of The Rosenbach Museum and Library, holds a BA in American History from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an MS in Writing from Towson University. She has worked in special collections and development at the Baltimore Museum... Read More →

Beth Hessel

Executive Director, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia

Dr. Beth Shalom Hessel is Executive Director of The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, where mission-focused strategies have doubled membership and significantly increased engagement. Previously, she led the Presbyterian Historical Society, expanding individual and grant funding for community-driven... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Leadership & Operations

Company Discussion/Roundtable

9:00am EDT

From Grants to Gameplay: How Museums Are Using Mobile Technology to Meet Institutional Needs

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

What does it take for a small or mid-sized museum to use mobile technology in ways that actually meet visitor needs? Lynne Calamia (Roebling Museum, NJ) shares how a small museum funded and scoped its mobile work. Ethan Miller (Night Kitchen Interactive) zooms out into a trifold case study spanning Roebling, Pearl S. Buck House, and Whitesbog Historic Farm and Village — three MAAM-region museums, three approaches to mobile. Samantha Gibson (Jackie Robinson Museum, NYC) brings the engagement lens with the "Citi Field Challenge" and a Harlem walking tour.

Session Takeaways:
•How to fund the work: Roebling’s strategy for stacking grants from New Jersey state agencies with external content partnerships, and how to scope a mobile project to the budget you actually have.
•How small museums can stretch limited staff by repurposing existing collections — oral history clips, historic photos, prior research — into mobile content that reaches new audiences. Drawing on Roebling Museum’s approach of presenting existing material in fresh ways rather than developing everything from scratch.
•A realistic view of the timelines, internal capacity, and stakeholder coordination required to launch and maintain a museum mobile experience.
•Design moves that turn a static digital guide into an interactive engagement tool, drawing on the Jackie Robinson Museum’s "Citi Field Challenge" and Harlem walking tour.

Moderators

Thomas Dunne

Chief Executive Officer, STQRY

Thomas Dunne is the CEO of STQRY, a mobile platform that helps museums, parks, and cultural sites build digital visitor experiences. Under his leadership, STQRY has worked with hundreds of institutions across North America to launch mobile guides, interactive activities, and audience... Read More →

Speakers

Lynne Calamia

Executive Director, Roebling Museum

As Executive Director of Roebling Museum, Lynne Calamia brings the story of Roebling, NJ — a former steel mill and company town — to life. Lynne has led the museum’s recent digital initiatives, including securing awards from New Jersey state agencies and managing external creative... Read More →

Samantha Gibson

Director of Education, Jackie Robinson Museum

Samantha Gibson is the Director of Education at the Jackie Robinson Museum, where she helps connect Jackie Robinson’s legacy to new audiences both inside the museum and beyond it. Samantha led the educational and content design of the museum’s Harlem walking tour and the "Citi... Read More →

Ethan Miller

Digital Media Lead, Night Kitchen Interactive

Ethan Miller is the Digital Media Lead at Night Kitchen Interactive, a creative agency designing scalable digital, mobile, and immersive experiences tailored to fit. He presents a trifold case study across three institutions — Roebling Museum, Pearl S. Buck House, and Whitesbog... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Technology

Company Panel

9:00am EDT

Museum Programs for People with Memory Loss Benefit Everyone: How to start or strengthen yours

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Museums are ideally situated to make a difference in the health of their communities and are especially well-equipped to support individuals living with memory loss and those who care for them. Whether you are thinking of starting a program or looking for inspiration to refresh your approach, this session will provide you with ideas and information to take back to your museum based on sixteen years of experience with Arts & Minds at the Studio Museum in Harlem. This work is adaptable to museums of all kinds.

Session Takeaways:
•Understand the thinking behind effective museum program design for people with dementia and their caregivers
•Understand the clinical basis for museum programs designed to support individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
•Evaluate potential program impact and how it may apply in their community
•Apply new knowledge to explain the value of museum programming for adults with dementia and their care partners.

Moderators

Carolyn Halpin-Healy

Executive Director, Arts & Minds

Carolyn Halpin-Healy, Executive Director of Arts & Minds, is a career museum educator and co-founder, with Dr. James M. Noble, Columbia University. We provide museum-based programming for people with dementia and their caregivers to improve wellbeing. Ms. Halpin-Healy provides training... Read More →

Speakers

Monique Hedmann, MD

Director of Adult Medicine, Baywell Health

Dr. Hedmann is a board-certified Family Medicine physician specializing in Geriatric Medicine. In my role, I work closely with patients with diagnoses of dementia and their caregivers. Prior to entering the field of medicine, I established a career in public health and aging, which... Read More →

Shanta Lawson

Senior Director of Learning and Engagement, The Studio Museum in Harlem

Shanta Lawson is a museum education professional and arts and cultural leader with more than 20 years of experience in the field. She has an established record of visioning, developing and sustaining a range of programs that engage broad audiences, including 16 years of experience... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Education & Programs

Company Panel

9:00am EDT

Strategies & Struggles: New Technology in Collections

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Technology promises a lot (and sometimes delivers!) but can cause as many problems as it solves if collection-specific needs are not part of the conversation early and often. Three collections professionals at very different institutions will speak to the wins and losses they've had recently with the use of technology to manage their specific collections and lessons learned.

Session Takeaways:
•Recognize that institution-wide technology procurement decisions must account for the specialized requirements of collections management, preservation, and access, which may differ from the needs of other museum departments.
•Identify practical and cost-effective technology solutions that can help collections staff address capacity gaps, streamline workflows, and maximize limited resources.
•Evaluate the appropriate role of technology in collections work, understanding both its benefits and its limitations, and advocate for additional staffing or resources when human expertise and labor remain essential.

Speakers

Emily Davidson

Collections Manager & Registrar, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

Em Davidson is the Collections Manager & Registrar of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture in Baltimore, Maryland. She has an M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in American Studies & Classics from Northwestern University... Read More →

Bryn Cooley

Collection Manager, National Building Museum

Bryn Cooley is the Collections Manager at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., where she collaboratively manages a collection of over 600,000 architectural drawings, photographs, tools, toys, archives, and more. She also serves as the primary database administrator for... Read More →

Kelsey Wiggins

Collection Manager & Registrar, Mars, Incorporated

Kelsey Wiggins is the first Collections Manager & Registrar of the Mars Museum and Archives for Mars, Incorporated. She has an M.A. in Museum Studies from George Washington University, an M.A. in Medieval History from the University of Leeds in the U.K., and a B.A. in Business with... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Collections Stewardship

Company Panel

10:15am EDT

Coffee Break

Thursday October 8, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT

NJC Lounge, Douglass Student Center

Recharge and reconnect! Enjoy fresh coffee, tea, and light refreshments while you mingle with fellow attendees, catch up on sessions, and make new connections. This is your chance to stretch your legs, swap ideas, and fuel up for the next round of learning and inspiration.

Thursday October 8, 2026 10:15am - 10:30am EDT
NJC Lounge, Douglass Student Center 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 2

10:30am EDT

Resume Review/Career Conversations

Thursday October 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT

Do you need advice on making a career change? Need to have someone look over your resume? Bring your career questions and/or resume to our MAAM board members and colleagues and sit and discuss. Open to all career levels.

Thursday October 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT

Type 1

12:00pm EDT

Lunch on Own

Thursday October 8, 2026 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT

TBA

Take this opportunity to explore nearby dining options at your own pace. Whether you want to grab a quick bite, enjoy a sit-down meal, or network with fellow attendees over lunch, the choice is yours!

Thursday October 8, 2026 12:00pm - 1:15pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 2

1:30pm EDT

Bucking the Trends at the Delaware Art Museum

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Art museums nationwide face declining attendance, aging audiences, shifting donor priorities, and competition. Yet some are growing post-pandemic by redefining relevance, access, and value. This case study shares practical strategies from the Delaware Art Museum that counter these trends and drive growth.

Through audience-centered programming, community co-creation, and mission-aligned revenue diversification, DelArt has rebuilt momentum. The presentation highlights reframing the museum as a civic asset—socially responsive, inclusive, and essential to community life. Attendees will gain actionable ideas, guiding questions, and renewed confidence to lead museums toward a more sustainable, impactful future while adapting to evolving public expectations and financial realities.

Session Takeaways:
•How to create annual SMART goals that align with your strategic plan, mission, and new initiatives while engaging staff across the organization
•Examples of reframing audience-centered, sustained engagement in a post-pandemic context
•Approaches to building authentic, long-term partnerships with both traditional and nontraditional arts and culture organizations
•Strategies for using metrics to prioritize SMART goals and expand programming while balancing your budget

Moderators

Lise Dube-Scherr

Director of Advancement, Delaware Art Museum

Lise Dube‑Scherr is a cultural leader with more than 25 years of experience in Canadian and American art museums, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Allentown Art Museum, and the Driehaus Museum. She has held executive director and senior roles in education, curatorial... Read More →

Speakers

Heather Morrissey

Director of Operations and Engagement, Delaware Art Museum

Heather Morrissey is an innovative museum leader. At DelArt, she oversees security, visitation, retail, studio and community programs, rentals, and facilities. She has spearheaded major initiatives including the transition to in-house security and expansion of services that generated... Read More →

Molly Giordano

Executive Director, Delaware Art Museum

Molly Giordano has served as the Executive Director of the Delaware Art Museum since 2021. Molly began her professional career in politics as a member of Jack Markell’s gubernatorial campaign in 2008, gaining experience in communications. In 2010, she joined the DelArt, initially... Read More →

Iz Balleto

Cultural Programs Manager, Delaware Art Museum

Iz Balleto, Cultural Programs Manager at the Delaware Art Museum, develops programs that elevate the artistic and cultural contributions of Delaware’s BIPOC communities. Born in Peru and raised in New York City, he brings a deep, personal connection to art and culture. Since moving... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Fundraising & Revenue

Company Panel

1:30pm EDT

Making Inclusive Museums Now: Lessons from the Field

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

JSA/MIXdesign, Queens Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art demonstrate how an inclusive design firm and art museums can move beyond code compliance to translate progressive principles into projects and guidelines.

JSA/MIX will share findings from the MIXmuseum initiative (2018–present), which developed inclusive design recommendations across partner museums, published in the Making Inclusive Museums Now report with the Architectural League.

The session then highlights two applications: the Queens Museum, from a 2019 pilot to a current capital project creating an Older Adult Hub; and the Whitney Museum, where accessibility guidelines address digital and physical visitor experience.

Session Takeaways:
•Understand how accessibility and inclusion in museums is evolving and how it shapes expectations for physical space and visitor experience.
•Identify gaps between accessibility goals and how they are realized in capital projects, and strategies for addressing them.
•Learn how participatory design processes can be used to engage diverse stakeholders and inform decision-making across multiple project types
•Explore real-world examples and strategies for translating inclusive goals into spatial outcomes, whether through policy/guidelines or architectural interventions.

Moderators

Joel Sanders

Principal, JSA/MIXdesign

Joel Sanders, FAIA, is an award-winning architect, designer, writer, and professor specializing in inclusive design. Sanders is the founder of JSA/MIXdesign, an inclusive design studio that makes everyday building types accessible and welcoming to all people. JSA/MIXdesign initiatives... Read More →

Speakers

Debra Wimpfheimer

Executive Director, Queens Museum

A native of Queens, Debra Wimpfheimer has dedicated her career to cultural institutions, building a strong presence in the art world. She joined the Queens Museum in 2002 as Director of External Affairs and has played a central role in its growth. Her work includes leading major fundraising... Read More →

Kimaada Le Gendre

Chief Learning Officer, Queens Museum

Kimaada Le Gendre is Chief Learning Officer at the Queens Museum and Director of The Suna Children’s Museum, where she leads the Museum’s education, youth, family, adult, school, accessibility, and public engagement initiatives. Her work focuses on advancing inclusive, community-centered... Read More →

Dyeemah Simmons

Director of Learning and Social Impact, Whitney Museum of American Art

Dyeemah Simmons (she/her) is an educator and arts worker focused on collaborating with artists to develop spaces for marginalized communities to create, commune, and gain access to critical resources. She is currently the Director of Learning and Social Impact at the Whitney where... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Accessibility / Inclusive Design

Company Panel

1:30pm EDT

The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Hinchliffe Stadium: Paterson’s Sporting Jewell

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Cultural preservation plays a vital role in telling the nation’s full history, including advocating on behalf of African American historic places. Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, NJ, played a vital role in Negro League baseball history, a precursor to the Civil Rights movement. The renovation and reinterpretation of Hinchliffe Stadium is a success story exploring architectural renovation, local and national advocacy, community engagement, use of historic tax credits, reinterpretation, and modern-day use. Hinchliffe highlights the importance that historic places represent in the diverse heritage of our nation and serves as a model in preserving the most important landmarks in American history.

Session Takeaways:
•Understand the process of cultural preservation of an African American historic site for modern-day use
•Learn how to create local and national advocacy to support a project
•Understand the role historic tax credits play in the private rehabilitation of income-producing historic structures
•Reinterpret an historic sporting structure and the Negro Leagues for a modern-day audience

Moderators

Doug Stark

Moderator, Douglas Stark Consultant

Douglas Stark focuses on making history more engaging, relevant, and accessible to a diverse audience. He has held positions at the Basketball Hall of Fame, USGA Museum,, and Tennis HOF where he was part of capital projects that rebuilt two sports museums. He currently serves as a... Read More →

Speakers

Brian LoPinto

Founder, Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium

Brian LoPinto, is the Founder of the Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium and Hinchliffe Stadium historian. The Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium is a volunteer non-profit organization founded in 2002 to save and revitalize one of the last surviving Negro League ballparks in the United Stat... Read More →

Larry Doby

Executive Manager

Larry Doby Jr., is the son of Larry Doby, a Baseball Hall of Famer who grew up in Paterson and first played in the Negro Leagues before breaking the color barrier in the American League. Doby Jr., is a Montclair resident.

Chris Coke

Executive Manager, H2M architects + engineers

Christopher Coke is an Executive Manager and Civil Engineer currently based in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. He has a long history in municipal infrastructure and urban development, serving as a key advocate for historic civil projects like the revitalization of Hinchliffe... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Preservation

Company Panel

1:30pm EDT

Nobody Puts Makerspace in the Corner! Using Maker-Based Approaches to Create Interactive Exhibits & Experiences Across the Museum

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Makerspaces are some of the most effective spaces for learning skills, but making is not merely an activity, it's a mindset. Freeing this mindset from the makerspace corner creates unlimited possibilities for creatively and meaningfully engaging your audience. So how can we leverage core maker approaches such as agency-building, open-ended problem solving, and reflection throughout the museum? This workshop will introduce maker-learning approaches and facilitate hands-on opportunities to apply them to your museum's content and stories. You will walk away with tools to help you bring these low cost interactives to life in your museum.

Session Takeaways:
•Redefine "making" from a localized activity to a museum-wide pedagogical framework, prioritizing agency and open-ended inquiry across all gallery types.
•Practice a methodology for mapping maker-learning traits (like reflection and iteration) onto their institution’s specific historical or cultural narratives, ensuring hands-on elements feel integrated rather than "tacked on."
•Leave with a toolkit for designing and maintaining high-impact, low-cost interactives that deliver deep engagement without the overhead of a staffed makerspace.

Moderators

Jacqueline Eyl

Independent Museum Consultant, Vision Activated LLC

Jackie Eyl leads Vision Activated, providing strategic experience design and mission refinement for museums. Most recently she has served as Chief Experience Officer at KID Museum and was the Director of Youth Education, at the International Spy Museum. She is an Adjunct Professor... Read More →

Speakers

Annalise Phillips

Vice President of Experience and Access, National Children's Museum

Annalise Phillips is the Vice President of Learning + Access at the National Children’s Museum, leading guest experience, programming, and access initiatives for children and families. She brings 16+ years of experience in museum learning and maker-centered education, including... Read More →

Savannah Fetterolf

Senior Director of Teaching & Learning, KID Museum

Dr. Savannah Fetterolf is the Senior Director of Teaching & Learning at KID Museum, where she leads the Program team in the design, development, and delivery of hands-on, maker based, culturally relevant museum experiences and curriculum. She brings over a decade of leadership experience... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 4, Exhibitions

Company Workshop

2:45pm EDT

Coffee Break

Thursday October 8, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT

NJC Lounge, Douglass Student Center

Thursday October 8, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
NJC Lounge, Douglass Student Center 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 2

3:00pm EDT

Archives Together: Community, Collections, and Connections

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Surratt Historic Site and Museum successfully deployed its Archives Together: A Community Approach (ATCA) initiative with funding from the Maryland Center for History and Culture. This program engaged community members in family history preservation, recruited archives fellows, and developed sustainable approaches to community-minded archival practices. ATCA increased the museum’s intellectual control of its archives, and heightened community investment in the museum’s resources. The success of ATCA can serve as a model on which other institutions can build archives-based, community-centered programming. This session will explore lessons learned and offer participants a chance to ideate on similar projects on a small budget.

Session Takeaways:
•Effective community engagement on a shoestring budget
•Fostering trust in your institution as a resource beyond traditional perceptions
•Providing critical career experiences to emerging professionals with measurable impacts on collections control

Moderators

Rhiannon O'Neil

Collections Manager, Surratt Historic Site and Museum

Rhiannon O’Neil is an emergent museum collections professional with a vested interest in using material culture to bridge the past and the present. Their master’s thesis explored the material embodiment of gender in late colonial Virginia, arguing that clothing became a contested... Read More →

Speakers

Haley Herrmann

Archivist, Surratt Historic Site and Museum

Haley Herrmann is an early-career museum collections and archives professional with a B.A. in Classics from the University of Colorado and an M.A. in Museum Studies, with a concentration in Collections Management, from the George Washington University. Her work centers on community... Read More →

Veronica Gallardo

Director, Surratt Historic Site and Museum

Veronica Gallardo is a public history practitioner with 19 years of experience at several historical sites. She is currently Director of the Surratt Historic Site and Museum. Her mission is to keep cultural institutions relevant by promoting comprehensive, inclusive history, strategically... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Education & Programs

Company Panel

3:00pm EDT

Beyond Touchscreens: Creative Uses of Digital Media to Shape Space and Engagement

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Design constraints can be frustrating, but they can also inspire more engaging and accessible solutions. How can docents present images in a space where nothing can be mounted? How can we bring documents to life without using screens? How can we teach young visitors to play a game without using words? This session explores case studies in historic buildings and children’s exhibits, where creative digital media interfaces addressed fundamental challenges.

Session Takeaways:
•Evaluate the types of digital media interfaces that may work in your exhibit space.
•Identify digital media approaches that can be used when space, power, and mounting options are constrained.
•Apply universal design principles to innovative user interfaces.

Moderators

Blair Chisholm

Interactive Producer, Quatrefoil Associates

Blair Chisholm has been an Interactive Producer at Quatrefoil Associates since 2019, where they have worked with over 20 clients to bring exhibits to life with interactive technology. Blair’s work spans the entire development lifecycle, from initial brainstorming through post-installation... Read More →

Speakers

Susan Cook

Senior Exhibit Specialist, Meadowside Nature Center

Susan Cook is a Senior Exhibit Specialist at Montgomery Parks, where she strives to inspire awe, curiosity, and a joyful connection to nature. By integrating design thinking with hands-on fabrication, Susan creates immersive natural experiences through tactile elements, soundscapes... Read More →

Gina Lewis

Curatorial & Interpretation Specialist, Riversdale Historic Site and Museum

Gina Lewis joined Riversdale Historic Site and Museum in 2020 where she serves as Curatorial & Interpretation Specialist. With more than 20 years of experience across small historic sites and major cultural institutions, Gina is committed to uncovering and sharing stories—especially... Read More →

Kaili Lockbeam

Assistant Director, Riversdale Historic Site & Museum

Kaili Lockbeam has an MA in Museum Studies from GWU. For three years Kaili served as Registrar at the Reginald F. Lewis, where she brought the collection online, managed an oral history project, and oversaw several temporary exhibitions. Kaili is the Assistant Director of Riversdale... Read More →

Samantha Palmer

Director of Brand Experience and Merchandise Licensing, Flagler College

Flagler College tourism and brand experience leader Samantha Palmer serves as Director of Brand Experience and Merchandise Licensing, overseeing Historic Tours of Flagler College. With expertise in heritage tourism, destination storytelling, retail strategy, and visitor engagement... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Exhibitions

Company Panel

3:00pm EDT

What Comes Next? Museums, Race, and the Work Ahead

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Launched in 2020, Smithsonian’s Reckoning with Our Racial Past initiative weaves together collections, interdisciplinary research, and convening power to explore the enduring legacies of race and racism. Since then, the museum field—and the broader public landscape—has significantly shifted.

Today, we are embarking on a regional wide effort to hear from colleagues on what comes next. We want to hear from you to understand how museums are navigating racial equity today—what’s working, what’s challenging, and what kinds of support are most needed. Insights gathered here will help shape future resources, convenings, and evaluation approaches grounded in the realities of the field. Your perspectives will play a critical role in shaping the next chapter of this work.

Session Takeaways:
•Listen and reflect on the core throughlines: challenges and opportunities, from dialogue to action, and measuring impact
•Hear and share examples of how the work has not stopped- it has shifted. Hear strategies and/or opportunities other museums have undertaken to continue their work on racial equity
•Participate in shaping the initiative’s next steps on possible workshops, convenings, or educational resources.

Moderators

Patty Arteaga

Public Programs Manager, Smithsonian Institution-Reckoning with Our Racial Past

Patty Arteaga is the Public Programs Manager for the Smithsonian’s Reckoning with Our Racial Past initiative, where she collaborates with external museums to explore the legacies of race and racism. She leads the National Conversations on Race series, using museum objects and programs... Read More →

Speakers

Maureen O'Connor

Education Specialist, Smithsonian Institution-Reckoning with Our Racial Past

Maureen O’Connor is the Education Specialist in the Reckoning with Our Racial Past Initiative. For over a decade, she has designed and facilitated interdisciplinary programs for K12 students, educators, and museum professionals at various state and national museums. In addition... Read More →

Dr. Pei Koay

Social Science Analyst, Smithsonian Institution-Reckoning with Our Racial Past

Dr. Pei Koay is an interdisciplinary leader & management specialist with over 15 years of specialized experience in aligning vision, theory, & practice to create trans-disciplinary spaces of learning, collaboration, dialogue, and engagement. She currently serves as the Reckoning with... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 3, Leadership & Operations

Company Town Hall

3:00pm EDT

Increasing Impact and Building Community: Expanding Programs for Neurodivergent Youth

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT

TBA

Feedback Survey

Often one-off programs, particularly those for neurodivergent audiences, cannot accomplish all of our program goals. A week-long intensive creates deeper opportunities for engagement, building confidence, and establishing relationships, especially for audiences with disabilities. Explore how two museums developed week-long intensives for neurodivergent children and teens, as well as extensions for program alumni, and how other cultural institutions can implement a plan and resources for similar programming. Participants will better understand the benefits of longer-term programming, be able to identify potential challenges and anticipate necessary supports ahead of time, and will start to apply resources shared to their own programming ideas.

Session Takeaways:
•Understand the benefits of longer-term programming for neurodivergent audiences.
•Identify potential challenges and anticipate necessary supports ahead of time.
•Apply resources shared to their own programming ideas.

Speakers

Charlotte Martin

Director of Access Initiatives, Intrepid Museum

Charlotte Martin (she/her) has over 15 years of experience working in museum education and accessibility. At the Intrepid Museum, she and her team develop specialized and inclusive programs and resources for visitors with disabilities and collaborate across the institution to embed... Read More →

Sara Thomson

Special Education and Access Manager, The New York Transit Museum

Sara Thomson develops access programs as well as oversees accessibility across all programming and departments at the New York Transit Museum. She is inspired by her 9 years of assisting children with disabilities in the classroom to create welcoming, supportive community experiences... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
TBA 100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Type 4, Education & Programs

Company Workshop

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