Winchester, VA, 1/22/2018 . . . Sherry Hudson, CFRE, Strasburg, VA, and Laura Kerr Wiley, most recently of Louisville, KY, will lead the newly focused efforts of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) to engage with the community and build support for its strategic vision. Hudson and Wiley are serving in their roles effective immediately.
The announcement was made today by MSV Executive Director Dana Hand Evans, who explained that the promotion of Hudson as senior director, institutional advancement and the hire of Wiley as director of community engagement signal a new MSV vision for the functions formerly and often typically defined as membership and development.
“The new structure and positions we are announcing today strengthen our ability to engage with our donors, members, community leaders, and all residents,” says Evans. “This is critical if the MSV is to remain relevant and vital in the community and fulfill its mission.”
According to Evans, the increasing MSV focus on special member and community events—such as the popular Gardens at Night concerts, theatrical performances in the gardens, free community days, and more—has signaled the Museum’s resolve to engage with the community. Hudson and Wiley, says Evans, are joining a dedicated, talented staff team that has planned and implemented the current programming and is now eagerly anticipating the next level of involvement that the new structure and staffing will help make possible.
In her new role as senior director, institutional advancement, Sherry Hudson will develop and implement MSV philanthropic strategies to advance the Museum’s vision, Strategic Plan, and program objectives. In this capacity, Hudson will oversee day-to-day operations of the Advancement Office and serve as a key member of the senior staff and planning teams. Hudson, who joined the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley staff team in 2015, has been most recently serving the Museum by managing its foundation, corporate, and Member relations.
Hudson’s academic degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, and a Master of Nonprofit Administration from North Park University, Chicago. Bringing more than 30 years of fundraising and management experience to her new role at the MSV, Hudson’s professional affiliations include various leadership roles with the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and as a volunteer she has served CHEERS School Family, Inc.; Top of Virginia Regional Chamber; and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Virginia Tri-State Chapter and the Shenandoah County Chapter.
Serving in the new role of director of community engagement, Laura Kerr Wiley will create and enhance connections for current, new, and prospective Museum members and donors through innovative programming and experiences. She also will develop and implement programs to engage and build relationships on behalf of the MSV with community leaders, residents, and visitors, and she will lead to successful completion the public phase of the MSV capital campaign that will fund the installation of miles of walking trails on the MSV campus.
Wiley comes to the MSV with ten years of fundraising experience, having served most recently at The Filson Historical Society, Louisville, KY, where she was responsible for all fundraising activities, including grants, corporate giving, membership, annual fund, planned giving, and major gifts. At Filson, she recently concluded a $12.5 million capital campaign to renovate and expand the society’s campus. Other experience includes serving as membership and development assistant of Historic Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park, Tazewell, VA; adjunct instructor of history at Indiana Wesleyan University, Louisville, and adjunct online instructor of history, Sterling College Online, Sterling, KS; and assistant director at Huntington Learning Center, Crestwood, KY.
Wiley’s academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts in History from Bluefield College, Bluefield, VA, and a Master of Arts in Early American and U. S. History from The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
A regional cultural center that attracts nearly 65,000 visitors yearly and has 1,700 members, the MSV is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV includes galleries, the Glen Burnie House, and seven acres of gardens; in Fiscal Year 2016–17, the Museum presented 335 programs that engaged more than 27,000 people of all ages. The galleries and exhibitions are open year-round; the house and gardens are open April through December. Admission is $10 or $8 for seniors and youth ages 13 to 18. General admission is always free to youth ages 12 and under and to MSV members. Thanks to sponsor Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc., admission is free to all every Wednesday. Additional details are available at www.theMSV.org or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235. –END–