Niles Parker Resigns As Director Of Penobscot Marine Museum
Guided Museum since 2006; Search Committee Formed to Seek Replacement

Niles Parker, Executive Director of Penobscot Marine Museum since 2006, has announced his resignation, effective in September.

August 17, 2010 -- Niles Parker, Executive Director of Penobscot Marine Museum, Searsport, Maine, has announced he will be stepping down from his position in September. The museum has begun a search process to identify his replacement, according to Marie E. Underwood, president of the board of trustees.

Mr. Parker managed several successful initiatives since he joined the museum as executive director in 2006. Over the past four years, he spearheaded the museum's successful reaccreditation by the American Association of Museums. Also during his tenure the museum significantly expanded its extensive, historic photography archives of statewide and regional significance, and implemented new education programs that established the museum as an important provider of childhood education services in Maine's Midcoast region.

"Niles played a key role in repositioning the museum as a dynamic organization that responds to the changing needs of the community and the ongoing processes of history as they occur around us," said Mrs. Underwood. "He has the trustees' deep gratitude for his dedicated service. We will miss his steady leadership and wish him the best in his future endeavors."

"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to lead such an outstanding museum," Parker noted. "I am proud of the work we have done and the direction in which the museum is headed. The Penobscot Marine Museum is a gem of a regional history museum. Its collections and programs, along with its staff, board, and loyal supporters, combine to form a remarkable organization. I have certainly enjoyed being a part of it."

A search committee has been formed and the museum has hired Marilyn Hoffman as a consultant to guide the search process for a new executive director. Her company, Museum Search and Reference, is a leading executive search firm for museums. Click here to see the job posting. Questions may be directed to the search committee chair, Albert Putnam, at 207-548-6230.