It is with mixed feelings that we announce that our Executive Director, Susan Evans McClure, will be moving on from Lake Champlain Maritime Museum at the end of this month for a new position. While we are sad to be losing an incredible leader, we are excited for her new role and a promising future on the horizon for Susan and for the Maritime Museum.
As our friends at the Vermont Arts Council are announcing today, Susan Evans McClure has been named as their new Executive Director. Susan will lead the organization’s work expanding arts opportunities and energizing the creative economy across the state.
In her five-year tenure at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Susan created a rising tide, lifting our reach, programs, and initiatives. She not only calmly steered the organization through the pandemic, she also implemented free admission for all and a pay-what-you-can tuition model for youth programs, spearheaded our new strategic plan and mission, and grew the museum’s staff and exhibits. Susan’s fierce commitment to access, audiences, and inclusion in museums gave us a fresh new understanding of what the Maritime Museum can be for its community. We have no doubt that these same values and drive will lead Susan to success with the Vermont Arts Council. We are honored to continue this work at the Museum.
“It has been an honor to lead the incredible team at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum,” says Susan Evans McClure. “They are dedicated to making the lake’s cultural heritage, history, and environment accessible to everyone. I know that the future of the museum and of Lake Champlain are in great hands.”
As with any good crew, the Maritime Museum will keep an even keel during this transition thanks to two leaders from the Museum’s own leadership team: Lauren Ross and Chris Sabick will serve as interim co-directors. Lauren Ross, the Museum’s Director of Development, guides fundraising strategy, membership, and strategic communications. Chris Sabick, the Museum’s Director of Research and Archaeology, leads the research, collections, and maritime focus of the organization. Together at the helm, they have over 30 years of leadership experience and will balance the directorial role while a national search for a new director is conducted.
We hope you will join us in congratulating Susan in her exciting new role, as well as Lauren and Chris for the recognition of their roles as leaders. We are deeply grateful to Susan for her fearless guidance of this organization, through challenge and celebration, and we cannot wait to see what she does for the state of Vermont with the Vermont Arts Council!
Susan’s last day at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will be April 21, at which time leadership will transition to Lauren and Chris. A search committee comprising members of the Museum’s board and staff will share more soon about filling the Executive Director role.
If you have any questions or well wishes to share, contact us at info@lcmm.org.