Strawbery Banke Museum names its next president and CEO
PORTSMOUTH — Strawbery Banke Museum announced Linnea Grim has been appointed its next president and chief executive officer.
Grim will come to Portsmouth from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, where she is vice president of guest experiences for the private nonprofit that owns and operates Monticello in Virginia. She will begin her new role March 6, succeeding Lawrence J. Yerdon, who is retiring after 18 years.
“I am truly honored to be the next leader of Strawbery Banke Museum,” Grim said. “The Board of Trustees and the staff have already impressed me with their commitment to bringing more than 300 years of history to life in the Puddle Dock neighborhood and being a vibrant part of the Portsmouth community. I can't imagine a more exciting time to join the team than during the city's 400th anniversary.”
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Grim has 23 years of experience working in leadership positions at nationally relevant historic sites, history organizations, and in the Office of the Curator at the Supreme Court of the United States, according to the museum's announcement of her hiring. She spent 16 years at Monticello serving as director of education and visitor programs and manager of interpretive programs prior to joining Monticello’s executive team in 2021. She has a bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude, from the College of William and Mary, and a master’s degree in history museum studies from The Cooperstown Graduate Program.
“Linnea’s substantial experience at prestigious institutions will be invaluable in moving the museum forward into its next chapter and continuing to engage visitors in innovative and exciting ways with local history in the Puddle Dock neighborhood,” Yerdon said.
A search committee, chaired by Cynthia Fenneman, chair of the Board of Trustees and CEO of American Public Television, worked with a consultant in the search. Search committee members included two former museum board chairs, Jeff Gilbert, current board secretary and managing director, W.J.P. Development, LLC; and Martha Fuller Clark, current trustee, recently retired state senator and historic preservation activist; current trustees Matt McFarland, vice chair of board and principal and portfolio manager, R.M. Davis; Kathy Kane, treasurer of the board and president and founder for The Maestro Fund; Joanna Kelley, current trustee and Portsmouth assistant mayor and Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar owner; and Jane Nylander, former director of Strawbery Banke Museum and president emerita of Historic New England.
“While there were many wonderful candidates, it became clear that Linnea’s background and skillset would make her the candidate Strawbery Banke would select as its next president and CEO,” Fenneman said. “Her proven success in organizational leadership, change management, innovative and diverse revenue streams, and lasting partnerships are the qualities the leader of Strawbery Banke must embody to help achieve its mission that values both individual stories and the power of community.”
Information: StrawberyBanke.org
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Strawbery Banke Museum names Linnea Grim next president and CEO
