Museum Board Announces Interim Director
Wenatchee, Wash. – (10/22/2021) Laurel Turner has been named the Interim Director of the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center (WVMCC). The decision is part of a plan by the Board of Directors to find a permanent successor after the resignation of Keni Sturgeon in late September. Sturgeon has served as the Executive Director since 2018 and will start in November at the Association of Children’s Museums leading their strategic initiatives.
Turner served as Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center of NCW from 2014 to April of 2021. She has a BS in Psychology and a minor in Non-profit Organization Management from the University of Washington Tacoma and a certificate in Effective Grant-writing from Tacoma Community College.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to help the museum through this transition. While I’m not an expert in their particular business or program focus, I have education and experience in non-profit leadership and what they need now is change management. I expect to learn a great deal from their experienced staff and I look forward to that.” Turner said.
Turner was born and raised in the Tacoma area and she and her husband, Rory, have lived in the Wenatchee Valley since 1995.
WVMCC’s mission is to gather, engage, and educate people to celebrate and preserve the history, arts, sciences, and rich diversity of our region, and the Museum creates community connections through creative programs, exhibits, events and publications. Turner’s experience building and nurturing communities makes her uniquely qualified to continue the work initiated by Sturgeon to execute WVMCC’s 2020 – 2025 Strategic Plan.
The WVMCC Board of Directors will begin their search for a permanent director very soon. The Museum anticipates a timeframe of up to six months based on previous leadership searches.
Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center
At the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center we gather, engage, and educate people to celebrate and preserve the history, arts, sciences, and rich diversity of our region. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates with the support of the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, as well as private donors. The Museum is housed in two historic federal-style downtown buildings that served early Wenatchee as the Post Office and Annex. For more information, check the Museum’s website at wenatcheevalleymuseum.org, follow us on Facebook @wenatcheemuseum, join us on Instagram @wvmuseum, or contact the Museum at 509-888-6240.
# # #
