After searching the nation to head up the Dallas Historical Society (DHS), the new executive director is a hometown gal — Shannon Roberts.
A fourth-generation Dallasite, Episcopal School of Dallas graduate Shannon received her B.A. in communications and journalism from Baylor University. She is currently an M.B.A. candidate at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.
But she brings to the position more than smarts. Most recently she has served as executive director of the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, “where she successfully restructured museum operations, programming and financial dependencies after a significant financial crisis nearly closed the institution.”
According to Shannon, “I started visiting Santa Fe when I was 19 years old. When the museum was in crisis, I realized that I have experience with other organizations that could help. I was called to save the institution for the sake of my daughter and the other children who visit it. Now that the museum is in great shape, I have moved back to Dallas for another wonderful opportunity.”
Prior to the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, Shannon was “development director of the Resource Center, executive director of the Dallas Children’s Museum when it merged with the Children’s Museum @ Perot Museum (formerly the Museum of Nature and Science), and development director for Dallas Children’s Theater.
Heading up the search was DHS board members Bill Helmbrecht and Andrew Clendenen joined by DHS Trustee Mary Brinegar and DHS Co-Chair Lynn McBee.
According to Lynn, “We were most impressed with Shannon because of her extensive experience in the non-profit world in various management positions, and her demonstrated skills in fundraising, financial management, community outreach, team building, and in clearly defining the missions of the organizations where she has worked.”
Shannon officially starts Monday, June 1.
* Photo credit: Jennifer Esperanza