[BCMA] Kelowna Museums Executive Director Announces Retirement

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Media Release

For Immediate Release

September 15, 2011




Museum Executive Director Announces Retirement


After more than three decades working with the Kelowna Museums, the Board of Directors is today announcing the retirement of its Executive Director, Wayne Wilson, in June 2012.



Wayne's tenure with the Museums began in 1978 when he was hired as the Exhibitions Coordinator, and over the ensuing years filled positions in education and public programming before moving to the Laurel Packinghouse to work on the establishment of the Orchard Museum (1989) and the Wine Museum (1996). In 2000 he took over the role of Executive Director in charge of all Kelowna Museums operations.



"Wayne has been a force in the establishment of a more business approach to the Museums and their role in the community," said Bob Groves, the Society's Past President. "His academic background in British Columbia and Okanagan history combined well with his entrepreneurial approach to the Museum's important work.  And I believe the community and its Museums have benefitted from that approach," he continued.



Over his years with the Kelowna Museums, Wilson feels his strongest efforts have been to shift the view of the Museum to a role of 'heritage services provider' for the community. "Just as the Y provides recreational services or the Boys and Girls Club provides social services for our community, I've worked to bring the Museums along the same path in support of tourism, business development, the Cultural District and other professional services." said Wilson. "Beyond that," he continued, "I've tried to bring resources as well as wonderful knowledgeable staff to the Museums to make it all the more accessible to the community. After all, the Museum's collections and resources belong to the entire community."



Wilson graduated from Dr. Knox High School and received a B. A. and M. A. from the University of British Columbia where his thesis explored the Okanagan's irrigation history from 1860 - 1920. During the 1990s, while working with the Museums, he also taught evening courses in Canadian and British Columbia geography at Okanagan University College. He has published numerous books and articles on Okanagan history, has narrated talking books and is a published fiction author. Most recently, he spent six weeks with 200 others paddling 1800 km down the Columbia River system to commemorate David Thompson's 200th anniversary of mapping the Pacific Northwest.



"This is a big move for me and a great opportunity for the Kelowna Museums," said Wilson. "I've given the Board of Directors lots of lead time to help with the Succession Planning. We're the largest Museum in B. C. outside the Vancouver/Victoria area, so it will be important to get the right candidate in place for our community. For me, I'll be looking to work more as a consultant, advising on cultural facilities development and heritage planning and, hopefully, to do more writing."



Bob Groves has been a member of the Museum's Board for almost 10 years and has worked with Wilson throughout that time. "Wayne will be missed," he said, "there's no question of that. And we are thankful to have the time to set our plans in place to manage the transition for the Board, our great staff and for our funding partners. We have a hiring Committee co-chaired by two of our capable Board members - Laurie Mills, an HR specialist, and David Morris, a local government management consultant. It's going to be a hectic few months to be sure," he continued, "but we've got great support on the Board, we have wonderful Museums and a highly qualified staff here in Kelowna, so we're optimistic we'll find a great candidate to fill the role of Executive Director to lead the organization in the years ahead."



"The Kelowna Museum Society is one of British Columbia's oldest Museums, and I am honoured to have worked for the Society all this time. I hope my work has added to its great tradition and will make it even stronger in the future," said Wilson.



- 30 -



Image: Wayne Wilson - Kelowna Museums



Contact information:



Bob Groves, Past President

Kelowna Museums

250-712-9393

regroves at shaw.ca<mailto:regroves at shaw.ca>



Wayne Wilson, Executive Director

Kelowna Museums

250-763-2417

wwilson at kelownamuseums.ca<mailto:wwilson at kelownamuseums.ca>



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