The National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Boston, MA
Application Deadline: March 28, 2025
The National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (NSCDA-MA) seeks a talented Executive Director to oversee three historic sites and lead the organization during a period of dynamic growth. Headquartered on Beacon Hill in Boston, the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts oversees three historic sites in the Commonwealth, all on the National Register of Historic Places: the William Hickling Prescott House in Boston, Quincy Homestead in Quincy, and Martin House Farm in Swansea. The Executive Director will embody the energy of the sites’ passionate stakeholders, communicate excitement about the mission, and skillfully navigate the logistics of moving the museums to a new place of relevance and engagement.
Colonial Dames in Massachusetts
The National Society of Colonial Dames in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, founded in 1893, actively promotes and conserves the colonial stories of our national heritage. Their activities are focused on historic preservation, patriotic service, and education.
The William Hickling Prescott House, 1808, is a National Historic Landmark, designed by noted architect Asher Benjamin. The House is named for the influential historian who lived and wrote here from 1845 to 1859. This Federalist-style house on Beacon Hill shows what life was like for the families who lived here from the early 1800’s through the Gilded Age. It serves as both the headquarters for the Society, and as a historic house museum.
The Dorothy Quincy Homestead and heritage garden, also a National Historic Landmark, is significant for its role in early American history, its architecture, and for its Quincy family association. The site, owned by the Commonwealth of MA, is operated by the NSCDA-MA as a private/public partnership. Built by Edmund Quincy II and dating from 1680, the house was enlarged and enhanced over more than 200 years. Dorothy Quincy married John Hancock, playing a significant role as a witness to and participant in key events of the American Revolution.
Martin House Farm is a rare example of an 18th and early 19th-century farm, which still retains the character of its original setting. It consists of the house, two barns, and cultivated fields surrounded by dry stone walls and woodlands. The home was lived in for over 200 years by members of the Martin family.
NSCDA-MA maintains an artifact and decorative arts collection on each of its properties, including an important costume collection of over 7,000 historic women’s and children’s costumes and accessories. Special exhibitions are hosted in its headquarters at Prescott House, which also contains a library and archives relating to the three properties for which the Society provides stewardship and the families who occupied these sites, as well as the records of the organization.
At each of their sites, the NSCDA-MA offers a range of educational programming for all ages, including school programs, out-of-school programs, lectures, demonstrations, and events. For example, all fifth graders in Swansea, MA visit Martin Farm, and eighth graders are trained as student docents. At Quincy Homestead, demonstrations of activities such as Colonial printing, tailoring, and chocolate-making attract a varied audience, including high school students and scouts. The Quincy Homestead also hosts annual city-wide events like a Quincy Independence Day celebration.
NSCDA-MA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit governed by an Executive Committee of seven, a staff of two and seventy volunteers. The museums have an annual budget of about $660,000 and welcome 1,800+ visitors per year. To read more about how the NSCDA-MA’s mission and vision encapsulate the organization’s aspirations, see their statements here.
The Opportunity
This position represents a significant growth opportunity for the museums, allowing an accomplished nonprofit leader to enhance the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts’ unique assets and elevate its public profile. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in building organizational capacity, ensuring sustainability, and creating new engagement pathways across the Society’s three communities. Collaborating with a dedicated Board, staff, and volunteers, the Executive Director will guide the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts toward increased relevance and impact.
A successful candidate will have an appreciation for the Society of Colonial Dames of Massachusetts’ mission and be sympathetic to community historical identity, as well as historical and curatorial issues specific to small museums and historic properties. The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to:
Transition the organization to new levels of professionalism and efficiency, providing strong leadership with the support of a dedicated Board.
Envision innovative pathways for sustainability, community engagement, and growth.
Seek out mutually beneficial opportunities for strategic partnerships in all three of the Society’s communities.
Responsibilities and Expectations
The Executive Director will have proven effectiveness as an executive or senior-level professional in nonprofit organizations such as museums, historic sites, preservation institutions, or other similar mission-driven organizations. The successful candidate will demonstrate accomplishment as a strategic thinker, team builder, innovator, and leader adept at translating vision into organizational action. They will:
Assume overall executive responsibility for the NSCDA-MA's three museums, supervising daily operations and driving educational outreach, visitor experience, earned revenue streams, including four rental properties at the sites, and stewardship of the buildings and collections.
Provide curatorial and preservation oversight, to establish best museum practices including implementing the Massachusetts Colonial Dames Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) report.
Oversee the interpretive program, exhibitions, internships, and public programming at the three historic sites.
Develop a trusting and mutually supportive relationship with the Board and Committees, guiding them in optimizing their governance responsibilities, enabling effective committee and stewardship practices for the three historic properties and collections.
Provide financial supervision and sustainability; ensure fiscal integrity by budgeting revenues and expenditures that ensure the financial health of the organization.
Inspire and nurture a team of staff members and volunteers that display creativity, collaboration, and achievement.
Serve as the NSCDA-MA liaison representing the organization at meetings, events, and in the media, cultivating key relationships locally, regionally, and nationally.
The Executive Director is responsible for grant writing but not for individual-gift and membership fundraising; these tasks are managed by a committee with staff support.
Experience, Skills, and Attributes
A minimum of five years of executive or management experience in a nonprofit environment or other mission-driven organization.
Academic degree and experience in history, museum studies, historic preservation, education, or another relevant field.
Pragmatic and successful experience as a project manager, ideally having engagement with building projects, collections care, interpretation visitor experience, and audience development.
Demonstrated enthusiasm for successful grant-writing including governmental funding sources.
Strategic planning skills that provide organizational vision, direction, and financial sustainability.
Emotional intelligence and people-oriented leadership skills that serve internal and external stakeholders. Ability to sustain strong relationships with the local communities in alignment with the NSCDA-MA’s values.
Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this position.
Compensation
The salary range is $80,000 to $90,000, commensurate with experience, plus benefits.
A partial remote work schedule is available.
How to Apply
To apply in confidence, submit application by March 28, 2025, to: Ken Turino, Senior Search Consultant, Museum Search & Reference, via SearchandRef@museum-search.com.
Please include:
1) A cover letter expressing interest in the position and giving brief examples of past related experience.
2) A résumé.
3) The names and contact information for three professional references, indicating their relationship with the candidate.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as candidates will be considered on a rolling basis. Nominations are welcome. All applications and nominations are kept confidential; we will not contact references without your permission. For more details, visit: www.museum-search.com/open-searches.
About Boston
Boston, a city rich in history and culture, offers an exceptional living and working environment. The city is a world-class center for banking, health care, and technology research. One of America's leading intellectual centers, Boston boasts some of the most prestigious universities and medical centers in the world. As a metropolis, it is home to numerous attractions including museums, theaters, musical events, and robust restaurant and brewery opportunities, and includes many distinct and historic neighborhoods.
The suburbs have some of the nation’s top-rated school systems. Boston is served by a strong public transportation system and offers outdoor recreation along the Charles River and Atlantic Ocean. Sports fans enjoy the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins, as well as the soccer team, the Revolution. The proximity to the New England coastline and mountains allows for easy access to beaches and ski resorts. Living in Boston or its suburbs means living in a community that values history, education, and cultural engagement. The city's blend of historic charm and modern amenities creates a lifestyle that makes the high cost of housing worthwhile.
