Description

The Whatcom Museum Executive Director (Executive Director), serving also as the Chief Executive Officer for the Whatcom Museum Foundation’s Board of Trustees, will provide strategic leadership in planning, organizing, and directing all operations and activities of the Whatcom Museum (the Museum). In coordination with other City departments and the Foundation Board, the Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing the Museum’s financial health and sustainability; managing physical facilities and assets; ensuring effective and secure use of data systems; and developing and maintaining an effective workforce and culture of organizational excellence. The Executive Director will be a member of the City’s leadership team, collaborating with the Mayor of Bellingham and other City departments to align strategy, policy, and shared operations with the City’s critical objectives, vision, and values, ensuring the Museum is a vital cultural and educational resource for the community. The Executive Director will work independently, with general guidance from the Whatcom Museum Foundation’s Board of Trustees, to ensure proper prioritization of institutional goals to maximize the effectiveness of the museum’s operations for the good of the community, in alignment with broader goals as set forth by the City of Bellingham Mayor and City Council. 

The Whatcom Museum Executive Director will be responsible for shaping the Museum’s vision, enhancing its role in the community, and overseeing strategic planning and all day-to-day operations of the multi-facility campus. The Whatcom Museum Executive Director is an employee of the Whatcom Museum Foundation, reporting to the Whatcom Museum Foundation’s Board of Directors, and is the Chief Executive Officer for the Whatcom Museum Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The Executive Director’s leadership team includes the chief curator and director of exhibitions, the controller, the development director, the director of collections & operations, and the director of marketing & public relations. Additional employees include docents, interns, part-time visitor attendants, story associates, and Family Interactive Gallery associates. Of the team of 25 total employees, four are City employees, while the remainder are employees of the Whatcom Museum Foundation. The Whatcom Museum Foundation is currently bargaining its first union contract with Teamsters local 231. 

Organization 

The Whatcom Museum includes a three-building campus in Bellingham’s growing downtown arts district and houses a collection of more than 250,000 artifacts and artworks of regional and national importance, including a vast photographic archive. Centered around the historic Old City Hall—with its iconic clock tower visible throughout downtown—and the nearby Lightcatcher building—featuring a spectacular, translucent wall designed to catch sunlight—the Whatcom Museum plays a central and visible role in Bellingham’s vibrant arts and culture scene.

The Museum’s mission is to serve as a bridge among diverse people, ideas, and traditions by fostering curiosity and joy about our world, through exhibitions, events, educational programs, and collections reflective of the art, nature, Indigenous cultures, and history of the Pacific Northwest region and beyond. The Museum is operated by the Whatcom Museum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Serving the local community as a regional destination, it is accredited nationally by the American Alliance of Museums, is a member of the American Association for State and Local History, and is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate.

The Whatcom Museum Foundation Board of Trustees has 10 to 15 voting members, which includes Mayoral appointees. In addition, a City Council Representative and a Whatcom Museum Tribal Liaison sit on the board as ex-officio members. For the 2025 fiscal year, the Museum projects approximately $1.83 million in revenue, 34% of which is funded through the City of Bellingham and Lodging Tax, and $256,600 from endowment support. 

Museum Facilities and Programs

The Museum’s original building is the beloved Old City Hall—the first site in the state of Washington to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic building, with its Victorian cupolas and central clock tower, is an iconic symbol for the City of Bellingham, beloved by the community. Old City Hall is programmed with exhibitions and remains the site for many of the museum’s most popular programs. Exhibitions opening in Old City Hall in 2026 include Vivid Victorian, featuring a dozen recently-restored examples of Victorian dress from the Whatcom Museum Collection, paired with photographs from the Photo Archives illustrating the variety of colors and styles typical of the era; as well as Painted Forest: The Science and Beauty of Petrified Wood, featuring the Rice Museum’s collection of ancient specimens.  

The Museum’s modern building, the Lightcatcher building, is named for its focal point and most innovative feature: a 36-foot-tall, 180-foot-long translucent wall that acts as a spine connecting the building and its spaces. It originated as an international design competition, was designed by Olson Kundig Architects’ founding partner, Jim Olson, and now houses the bulk of the museum’s vast collections, as well as rotating fine arts exhibitions, and People of the Sea and Cedar, a gallery dedicated to the Coast Salish culture, history, and artistry. The Lightcatcher is also home to the Family Interactive Gallery for children and families, an arts studio/ classroom, a research library, the museum store, and an outdoor courtyard used for community events. The 42,000-square-foot-building integrates natural materials native to the region and is the first museum in Washington designed and registered to LEED Silver-Level specifications. Current exhibition highlight includes Verdant: French Masterworks from the National Gallery of Art, an intimate exhibition of three masterworks by Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse, on long-term loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through their Across the Nation program. Also slated for 2026 in the Lightcatcher is the nationally-touring exhibition Personal to Political featuring works by 17 African American artists who are reshaping the contemporary art world; an update to the People of the Sea and Cedar exhibition with new contemporary loans by Nooksack Tribe artist Louie Gong; as well as a series of Whatcom Museum Collection exhibitions beginning with Hard Edge, Soft Ground, an exploration of abstraction featuring the museum’s Roy Lichtenstein print, Brushstrokes, 1967.

Old Fire Station No. 1, the second historic building of the Whatcom Museum campus, was the original fire station for Bellingham, built in 1926. It houses the lauded Whatcom Museum Photo Archives; a collection of over 200,000 images and ephemera related to the history of the region. Reporters and researchers, including documentarian Ken Burns, have come to rely on the collection and the expertise of its in-house archivist. The main entrance of Old Fire Station No. 1 has not been open to the public for years, but recently funding has been secured to reopen the building with new photography and history exhibitions, with a reopening slated for late 2028.

The Museum is located within the Bellingham Whatcom Public Facilities District (BWPFD), a joint effort between the City and Whatcom County to invest in the community, with a mission of funding a regional center to increase economic prosperity and lay a foundation for future public and private investment in our community.

Community

Bellingham, Washington, is among the most beautiful and vibrant communities in the country. Combining a small city vibe with big city events and activities, natural beauty, and recreation, it is nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the San Juan Islands. Bellingham is the recipient of an extensive list of awards, including many designations as a best place for livability, outdoor adventures, and leadership in sustainability. A short distance to both Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, Bellingham is among the fastest growing cities in the Pacific Northwest, with an eye toward sustainable growth. The city has preserved its historic roots and has connections to the Indigenous tribes who have called this land home since time immemorial. Walkable and bikeable neighborhoods and urban villages are spread throughout the city, as well as neighborhoods with distinct character and housing styles, from Victorian and turn-of-the-century architecture to Craftsman bungalows and modern condominiums. 

Noted as a recreation destination, Bellingham has invested in an enviable and acclaimed parks and trails system. Within easy reach are world-class skiing, sailing, kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, and hiking. The city’s urban center has a thriving arts scene, unique shopping districts, and a plethora of local eateries, breweries, and more. From the live productions at the Mount Baker Theatre to the independent cinema at the Pickford Film Center, and music, art, comedy, and other offerings at venues throughout the community, Bellingham proudly supports an active and innovative culture of arts and entertainment. Public higher education institutions, including Western Washington University, Northwest Indian College, and two community colleges add vibrancy and diversity to a community that values lifelong learning. 

Sources: bellingham.org; cob.org

Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Museum Leadership

•       Lead the development and implementation of the Museum’s strategic plan, in cooperation with the Museum Foundation Board, ensuring alignment with the City’s mission and core values. 
•       Oversee the Museum's financial strategies and fund development to support the needs of exhibitions, programs, facilities, and ongoing operations.
•       Maintain accreditation with the American Alliance of Museums, upholding professional standards and best practices.
•       Work closely with the chief curator, director of collections, and the Board of Trustees’ Collection Committee to strategically expand the museum’s permanent collection, which the Whatcom Museum Foundation holds in trust for the City of Bellingham and its community. 
•       Approve all major accessions and deaccessions from the collections while ensuring the security and integrity of the collection and exhibitions.
•       Embrace other strategic museum leadership responsibilities as needed. 

Fundraising and Financial Oversight

•       Assure the financial well-being of the Museum by establishing successful fundraising strategies and skilled donor development, as well as cost control measures, and monitoring all fiscal operations.
•       Prepare and review annual budgets for the Whatcom Museum Foundation, as well as for the City of Bellingham, justifying budget requests and amendments. 
•       Enforce the efficient and economical use of departmental funds, personnel, assets, equipment, materials, facilities, and time, while managing various funds, trusts, and accounts, and negotiate contracts and agreements.
•       Oversee fundraising activities across categories of giving, including individuals, corporations, foundations, government, and fundraising events. 
•       Manage the development of long- and short-term fundraising strategies for the Whatcom Museum Foundation. 
•       Administer contributed income and capital endowment activities by identifying, cultivating, securing, and stewarding gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, and others that could assist the programs, acquisitions, goals, and long-term needs of the Museum. 
•       Along with the Controller, provide leadership to the Board of Trustees’ Finance Committee by recommending and initiating enhancement and investment strategies, as well as fiscal goals.
•       Embrace other fundraising and financial oversight responsibilities as needed. 

Personnel and Facilities Management 

•       Coordinate the Museum’s activities with those of the Mayor and other City departments and offices to ensure alignment with the City’s critical objectives, vision, and values, and to help the City deliver the One City Initiative.
•       Create and implement policies and procedures for the work of the Museum and for staff. 
•       Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, City policies, and best practices in the industry.
•       Develop and maintain a workforce committed to excellence, with highly developed competencies in customer service, results orientation, and teamwork. 
•       Manage the hiring, training, performance appraisal, work assignments, career development, safety, and corrective action of Museum staff, and the oversight of the volunteer program. 
•       Ensure compliance with Federal and State laws, as well as labor agreements and City and Museum policies and procedures.
•       Oversee facilities management of the Museum’s multi-building campus in collaboration with city staff. 
•       Embrace other personnel and facilities management responsibilities as needed. 

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

•       Act as the Museum’s primary representative to the City, serve as a member of the City’s leadership team, and provide information and advice to the Mayor, City Council, and City Leadership on strategic planning and accomplishment of the Museum's goals and objectives.
•       Engage with the community to foster accessibility, build positive relationships, and promote a positive public perception of the Museum. 
•       Serve as a strategic leader in defining the role of the Museum in the arts and culture of the city. 
•       Ensure Museum staff collaboration with other City programs to deliver accurate, consistent information and services.
•       Embrace other community and stakeholder engagement responsibilities as needed. 

Traits and Characteristics 

The Executive Director will be a dedicated, enthusiastic, and visionary leader with the ability to build relationships with the community and communicate the importance of the arts to the City of Bellingham’s constituents. The Executive Director will be a strong communicator and team leader who will work with and leverage a focused and dedicated staff to further the Museum’s mission. The Executive Director will prioritize accessibility for the Museum’s buildings, collections, exhibitions, and programs, and will be a champion for educational initiatives for all ages. The Executive Director will welcome new ideas and improvements from staff, trustees, and community members and will manage resources to accomplish strategic goals. 

Other key competencies include the following:

•       Leadership and Personal Accountability – The capacity to inspire and support others while modeling integrity, setting clear expectations, and taking ownership of operational and strategic outcomes.
•       Diplomacy and Interpersonal Skills – The ability to navigate complex organizational structures and relationships with cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence, building trust and fostering collaboration across a diverse range of stakeholders.
•       Teamwork and Flexibility – Values shared successes and recognizes and elevates individual contributions while cultivating an inclusive and respectful organizational culture.
•       Time and Priority Management – The dexterity to manage multiple demands simultaneously with focus and flexibility, ensuring efficient planning, clear prioritization, communication, and timely execution with reasonable expectations.

Requirements

A minimum of five years of leadership experience in an arts and culture organization is necessary. A bachelor’s degree in art, art history, history, museum studies, business, or finance is ideal, and a master’s degree is preferred. Training and/or experience in management, finance, investment, and fundraising practices is required. Experience and knowledge working with Tribal entities, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and sensitive issues around decolonizing museums is a plus. Familiarity with the museum profession, best practices, and standards of the field, including Museum Accreditation standards, is highly desirable, alongside knowledge of legal issues surrounding museum practice; methods, procedures, and regulations related to Federal and State grants; methods and procedures related to corporate and nonprofit foundation grants; historic preservation; and relevant tax law and compliance issues. A candidate who does not meet all the qualifications but possesses transferable or equivalent skills, experience, or education is encouraged to inquire or apply and to highlight those areas in their cover letter.