Schedule coming soon!
In the meantime, session info and speaker bios are listed below.
Sessions:
Mike Adams, Kim Staub, and Michael Madeja: "Letting Go: The Art and Science of Eliminating Programs and Practices That No Longer Work"
Every museum has them: educational programs, special events, tours, exhibits, and other initiatives that no longer relate to mission, fail to bring in significant revenue, and are more taxing on staff and resources than their impacts and returns can justify. This session presents tools for diagnosing these problematic programs; approaches for finding ways to make them work better for your museum; methods to get internal and external stakeholders on board for “letting go;” and communication strategies to make the process as painless as possible. The session features case studies on the ways experienced museum professionals have adjusted, drastically modified, and eliminated problem programs and practices at multiple institutions with time for Q&A to help attendees navigate their own institutional obstacles to change.
Mike Adams serves as Director, Museum and Audience Engagement, at Hagley Museum and Library, and as Board Vice President at the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center. Among other roles, was an adjunct professor in the museum studies graduate program at the University of the Arts and, in 2020, was recipient of SMA’s Small Museum Award.
Kim Staub is the Executive Director at Wyck Historic House, Garden, & Farm, a national historic landmark in Northwest Philadelphia. Before joining the team at Wyck, Kim was the Collections & Exhibitions Manager at the Betsy Ross House and served as the Vice-President of Philadelphia’s Historic Neighborhood Consortium.
Michael Madeja (he/him) is the Director of Education at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. Before joining the Independence Seaport Museum, Mike worked for and volunteered with various non-profits, including most recently serving as the Head of Education Programs at the American Philosophical Society’s Library & Museum and as the Chair of the Education Committee (EdCom) for the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Marc R. Baum: "Straddling the Line"
How to be a serious museum and a cheeky roadside attraction, both at the same time.
Marc Baum is the President of the International L. Frank Baum & All Things Oz Historical Foundation and Co-Director of the foundation’s All Things Oz Museum located in Chittenango, NY (birthplace of L. Frank Baum)
Lauren Canty, Candi Claggett, and Lindsay Hollister: "New Museum in a Changing World: Breaking Ground at the Patterson House and Gardens"
The Patterson House and Gardens, located on Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard, Maryland, is part of an environment that is experiencing great change. The re-opening of the historic house and landscape after six years of renovations has put it in a unique position to address shifts in demographics, technology, land use, and climate in Southern Maryland. The JPPM Curator, Patterson Educator, and Horticulturist worked with JPPM staff and volunteers to create a mission-driven museum space that seeks to break barriers in what is expected in collections, interpretation, and horticulture to serve the needs of visitors in a changing world.
Lauren Canty, the JPPM Curator at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, has dedicated her career to the management, care, and understanding of museum collections. She has experience stewarding artifacts at museums of many different types and sizes, including sites within the Smithsonian Institution and National Park Service networks.
Candi Claggett is a museum educator and public historian dedicated to developing dynamic, research-based programming that bridges history, culture, and community. At the Patterson House and Gardens, she designs and leads interpretive experiences that foster learning, dialogue, and deeper connections with the past.
Lindsay Hollister‘s current position as Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s first horticulturist has been informed by a lifetime of mentorship with a family landscape business, a Permaculture Design Certification, Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional training, and the Master Gardener program. At JPPM, her work includes restoring the 1930’s formal gardens at the Patterson Mansion, and managing the park’s 570-acre landscape.
Kayla Doyle, Hannah Gaston, Katherine Quigley, and Michaela Zoquier: "Preventing (Climate) Collections Catastrophes and Other Chaos"
Liberty Hall Museum & Arboretum faced a fair number of collections catastrophes in 2025: a kid on a field trip kicking a hole in a wall, an AC unit flooding a rare book room, and a visitor deciding to sit in (and subsequently break) a nineteenth-century chair with presidential provenance. As a museum that only recently began prioritizing collections safety by hiring its first full-time Curators of Collections and Archives, Liberty Hall’s workshop facilitators will share how the museum has prioritized mitigating future chaos and how collections, education, and other departments can collaborate to protect objects while also making them usable resources for the public. Participants will then be invited to share their own catastrophes (or near-misses) with other attendees before reconvening as a whole group to share and learn together to create actionable and practical plans for developing a safer climate for all their collections (both historic and touch objects) while preventing catastrophes and chaos with limited resources and a small-museum budget.
Kayla Doyle has worked at Liberty Hall Museum for the past six years and is now the Curator of Archives. She has a strong background in education, collections management, and exhibition design allowing her to create engaging opportunities for visitors.
Hannah Gaston, the Director of Education at Liberty Hall Museum, is passionate about making historic house museums relevant and compelling to modern audiences and sharing her work with the wider museum community, recently publishing and presenting with the New Jersey Association of Museums, Institute of Museum Ethics, Muse Weekly, and American Association for State and Local History. She holds a B.A. in History from Elmira College and an M.A. in Museum Education from Seton Hall University.
As Curator of Collections at Liberty Hall Museum, Katherine Quigley is responsible for the care of nearly 10,000 items in the museum’s collection. With degrees in Archives and Public History from New York University and History from Boston College, as well as ten years of experience in historical research, interpretation, and collections management, she is committed to balancing the preservation of historic materials with facilitating public access.
Michaela Zoquier is the Education & Outreach Coordinator at Liberty Hall Museum in Union, NJ where her day-to-day focus is running Liberty Hall’s robust Education program while finding joy in teaching history to students, adults, or really, anyone that will listen. She received her Bachelor’s in History from Kean University where she first discovered Liberty Hall and the Museum Education field, and she recently finished a Graduate Certificate in Genocide and Holocaust Studies through Seton Hill University.
Jess Edberg: "FireWise in the Northwoods: Resiliency and Preparedness"
Preparing for natural disasters has taken on more urgency in the past five years due to an increase in severe weather events including drought, which increases wildfire danger. The Dorothy Molter Museum has cultivated partnerships with local, state and federal agencies and organizations to develop a forest management and fuels-reduction property plan as well as emergency response plans. This session will share how creating space for a college forestry/natural resource program resulted in assistance in maintaining and implementing disaster prevention, climate change preparation, education programming and a new revenue generator at the Museum.
Jess Edberg is the Executive Director of the Dorothy Molter Museum in Ely, Minnesota and serves on the boards of the MN-Alliance for Heritage Response, MN Alliance of Local History Museums and the St. Louis Co MN Historical Society. Jess also plays on the local women’s hockey team, takes advantage of the many amazing regional natural resources, volunteers for the International Wolf Center and travels when she can.
Julie Fether and Scarlett Wirt: "You Are Not Alone: Building and Sustaining a Regional Disaster Response and Recovery Team with the East Broad Top Archives and Special Collections"
Would you know what to do if a natural disaster hit your small museum? Or do you know what to do, but worry that limited resources make it impossible to prepare? This session will provide a case study and workshop on how the East Broad Top Archives and Special Collections partnered with other local museums along the railroad’s historic route to create a regional disaster response team.
Julie Fether is the archivist for the EBT Archives and Special Collections. A former project manager and instructor in higher education, she holds a master’s degree in museum studies and a post-baccalaureate certificate in digital curation from Johns Hopkins University.
Scarlett Wirt is the curator and archives custodian for the Friends of the East Broad Top, and an advisor to the East Broad Top Railroad Archives and Special Collections. Prior to joining the EBT team, Scarlett led the Defense Department’s cryptologic history program, and worked as a National Park Service museum curator and archivist.
Kristen Matulewicz: "'We the People...' How One Exhibition Changed an Entire Museum"
This presentation discusses cultural climate change by case studying the exhibition “We the People….” It grapples with issues of how changing politics and societal response effects museum and heritage sites and ultimately transforms an exhibition’s meaning. By allowing the community’s frustration with prescribed alienation and othering to find its voice in what was once a rather ordinary celebration, Rockwood has had to reconcile with its interpretive past. “We the People…” was the first major interpretive project post Rockwood’s first ever strategic plan and this shows redesign in response to voiced community needs inspired Rockwood’s staff to rethinking how the institution prioritizes its strategic plan to better meet the needs of the community in a way that matters.
Kristen Matulewicz is the Curator of the 1850’s Gothic Revival Mansion and historic gardens, Rockwood Park & Museum in Wilmington, DE. Before curation, she had a 12-year career in Museum Education with a reputation for working with local communities, underserved populations, and practicing artists to create opportunities for accessible learning that saw her awarded the Delaware Art Educators Association’s Educator of the Year in the field of Museums.
Dr. Jennifer Rogers and LaShell Martinez: "Shifting Volunteer Expectations: Adapting to a Changing Social Climate"
Small museums face shifting volunteer and board dynamics, with fewer long-term commitments and growing accessibility needs. This session explores emerging trends, from short-term and flexible roles to inclusive systems that support youth and volunteers with disabilities. Through discussion and a practical toolkit, participants will gain strategies to adapt expectations and strengthen engagement in today’s evolving landscape.
Dr. Jennifer Rogers brings 25+ years of museum and volunteer experience, helping small museums thrive through strategic guidance in collections, programming, exhibitions, and community engagement.
LaShell Martinez has more than a decade of museum volunteer experience and brings a unique perspective to accessibility and engagement. At Kaleidoscope Heritage Focus, she design inclusive, hands-on solutions that help museums connect meaningfully with staff, volunteers, and visitors.
Heidi Schlag and Jake Wynn: "Stronger Together: How Museums and DMOs Can Create Authentic Visitor Experiences"
Today’s travelers seek authentic, place-based experiences rooted in local heritage and culture. This session explores how museums—often overlooked in tourism planning—can collaborate with Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to boost visibility, attract visitors, and deepen community connections. Join heritage tourism consultant Heidi Schlag and Visit Frederick’s Jake Wynn to discover practical strategies for leveraging DMO resources like marketing, PR, and itinerary development to position your museum as a must-visit destination.
Heidi Schlag is the founder of Culture-Link Communications, where she helps museums and cultural organizations strengthen their marketing through strategic coaching, fractional services, and staff training. With 25 years of experience in heritage tourism, she specializes in connecting museums to broader tourism networks—like DMOs, Main Streets, and Byways—to amplify their reach and impact through smart, cross-sector collaboration.
Jake Wynn is a tourism marketing professional with Visit Frederick, Maryland, and a public historian with a passion for making history accessible and engaging. A former Director of Interpretation at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, he has spent over a decade bringing American history to life through storytelling, with a focus on Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal region and the Civil War.
Elizabeth Scott Shatto and Scott N. Shatto: "Climate and Changing Approaches to Museum Programming"
This session will be a lively exchange, sharing experiences and climate-driven adaptations for the sake of long-term sustainability. How are you staying true to mission, generating resources to deliver your services, while shifting away from dependence on large, outdoor, public events? We’ll explore ways to activate museum grounds, consider storytelling through the lens of weather history, and community engagement via citizen science.
Elizabeth (Liz) Shatto, is a seasoned museum professional and heritage area executive director, who has devoted her career to assisting communities and cultural heritage organizations with capacity building and problem-solving.
Scott Shatto, now with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Services, most recently served in NOAA’s Climate Program Office as an Island Resilience Associate with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. His museum experience includes roles as an educator, and as a conservation manager with the National Aquarium.
Rebecca Shulman and Elise Petersen-Deitrick: "Collaboration with Colleagues: Museum Educators in Dialogue"
As communities across the country endure rapidly-shifting political and financial climates, museum educators are facing new challenges. In this roundtable discussion led by experienced museum educators Rebecca Shulman and Elise Petersen-Deitrick, join colleagues in a conversation about how we can effectively respond to these challenges, prevent burnout, and maintain integrity and fulfillment in our work. The aim of this roundtable will be to carve out a space of community and collegiality among SMA educators at all levels of experience.
Rebecca Shulman is a museum educator and cultural consultant with over 25 years of experience working in and supporting museums. She spent 15 years working as a museum educator in New York City before becoming the inaugural director of the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum in Peoria, Illinois, and now runs Museum Questions Consulting and works with clients around the country.
Elise Petersen-Deitrick is a museum educator with a little over 12 years of experience in traditional museum education and other forms of community engagement work. Her experience spans across history, science, and art museums in Atlanta, Southern Appalachia, and various regions of Maryland.
Byron Smith and Rick Kriebel: "Interpreting the Civil War in a Small Town: Developing Truthful Programing in a Politically Charged Time"
The session will address the challenges of designing educational programs that interpret the complexities of the American Civil War on a local level in a balanced and objective way. Special attention will be given to the way the current politically charged cultural environment is causing some to demand historical narratives that harmonize with their modern political ideology and cherished beliefs about the past. Principles of program design and content will be addressed, and practical advice will be offered that is based on the actual experiences of staff at the Newtown History Center, a museum located in a hotly contested region of Northern Virginia during the Civil War.
Byron Smith is the Executive Director & Curator of the Newtown History Center of the Stone House Foundation in Stephens City, VA, a post he has held for over twenty years. He holds a BA from Grove City College, a CMS from Harvard University, and an MA from the University of Richmond.
Rick Kriebel is the Manager of Collections & Programs at the Newtown History Center of the Stone House Foundation in Stephens City, VA, a post he has held for over seven years. He holds a BA from Grove City College and an MA from from The Cooperstown Graduate Program, SUNY Oneonta.
Nora Venezky: "Practical Fundraising Tips for Small Museums"
Raising funds for a small museum can be challenging, but with the right approach, even limited resources can make a big impact. This session will provide you with practical tips and tricks to simplify fundraising, introduce free or low-cost tools to enhance your efforts, and offer actionable ideas on where to get started. Whether you’re new to fundraising or looking to refine your strategy, you’ll leave with valuable insights to help secure financial support and sustain your museum’s mission.
Nora Venezky holds a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto and has a deep passion for small museums. She has served as Executive Director for the Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum, Greenbrier Historical Society, and Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry. Currently, she is the Development Director at Homesteads for Hope, a Rochester, NY nonprofit supporting adults with disabilities. In addition, she serves as the President of the Small Museum Association, advocating for the needs of small museums nationwide.
Robert Wills and David Tobias: "Climate Change Contributes to the Establishment of a Museum"
Winter sailing on ice in craft able to carry cargo evolved into craft designed and built solely for speed – these becoming the fastest vehicles on earth in the 1800’s. The aging members of the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club, established in 1885, still try to practice this sport today in restored vintage craft, but warming temperatures have meant less ice and fewer opportunities to sail. To save these threatened craft, and communicate the lessons of wind-powered technology, we formed the Hudson River Ice Yacht Preservation Trust with the goal of establishing a working museum to not only display these artifacts, but to have them ready to sail when conditions arise.
Robert Wills: President of the HRIYPT and Past Commodore of the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club; registered architect and retired GIS Coordinator for Dutchess County, NY.
David Tobias: Secretary of the HRIYPT and retired Director of the Land Acquisition Program in New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection. With a Master’s degree in Environment/Economics from Yale, Dave’s focus has been to protect public health by ensuring that the natural resources upon which our water supplies and ecosystems depend will remain intact and resilient for future generations.
Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors & Exhibitors!
Your support of the Small Museum Association Conference allows us to continue to offer accessible professional development opportunities to staff and volunteers working in the smallest museums across the country so they can make significant impacts in their communities.
Partner Museum
