The General Lew Wallace Study and Museum announced today that the director, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, will be leaving the organization in May. She has accepted the position of CEO at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine. An interim director will be appointed in March to guide the organization for the next four to six months.
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko: 6 years of accomplishment
Catlin-Legutko has led the organization since 2003 when it was a seasonal museum. Over the past six years the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum has been transformed into a model for excellence in small museums, winning the National Medal for Museum Service in 2008 for its community service and collections care. Under Catlin-Legutko’s guidance, the Museum has established such community mainstays as the Lew Wallace Youth Academy, the Artists in Residence Program and the Taste of Montgomery County, the tremendously successful Museum fundraiser that attracted over 2,000 visitors and helped to fund needed structural improvements to the Study building.
“Serving as the director of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum has been an incredible honor, from beginning to end,” said Catlin-Legutko. “We knew that the General’s study could teach thousands about the power of the individual spirit to affect American history and culture, and it’s this powerful mission statement that I will miss the most.”
Director will be missed
“The Museum is so much better for having had her,” said Visitor Services and Marketing Coordinator Kara Edie of Catlin-Legutko. “She saw an under-appreciated local jewel and showcased it to the entire nation. She brought a level of professionalism to this organization had never been seen before, and laid the groundwork for great things that we will continue to achieve even after she’s gone.”
“Cinnamon has a great opportunity, and I’m happy that she knows she can take it,” said Associate Director Amanda Wesselmann. “We will certainly miss her, but during her six years here she has helped lay a solid foundation that we can build upon.”
Former Board President and current Treasurer Dale Petrie remarked, “As I watched people respond to Cinnamon as she presented at the National Medal Symposium in Washington, DC last October, I knew our days with Cinnamon as director were numbered. We have been indeed fortunate to have been able to have such a rising star in the museum field guide the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum for the past six years. The good news is that she is leaving us with a great board and staff which should attract a very qualified field of candidates for the position.”
Board President Suanne Milligan shared, “We are grateful for Cinnamon’s inspiring leadership and wish her every success in her new role. The Board of Directors is moving forward with enthusiasm about future possibilities for the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum and this community.”
The Museum board of trustees has appointed a search committee to guide the selection process for a new museum director.
