After 44 years on the job at the Hagley Museum and Library, executive director Jill MacKenzie is stepping down.
MacKenzie started working at the Hagley more than four decades ago in public relations. Over the years, she moved into external affairs, then development, and then into the top role. As her career grew, so did the museum.
“So it started to evolve into a place where we could showcase what we have, but talk about how the DuPont company and the DuPont family were innovators," she said.
Among her career highlights, is the museum’s acquisition of thousands of patent models, bringing the Hagley’s collection of those models to over 5,000. She says part of the secret of her success - and the Hagley’s - is having good staff.
“First of all, the most important thing is to have the right people in the right jobs, and we have a tremendous staff here at Hagley," MacKenzie said.
For MacKenzie, one of the best parts of her job is watching young people be inspired by what they see at the museum.
“When you see kids here on a school tour and all of a sudden things click in their mind and you see that light bulb go off in their eyes and their eyes get big, there's no other experience in the world like that," she says.
In retirement, MacKenzie says she is looking forward to being a museum visitor rather than an administrator.
MacKenzie’s retirement is effective in June. A search for a new executive director is underway.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
