Kansas Humanities Council Appoints Julie Mulvihill Next Executive Director

Date: November 1, 2006

TOPEKA – The Kansas Humanities Council (KHC) Board of Directors recently completed a national search and has named Julie Mulvihill Executive Director, effective January 1, 2007. She will become only the second director in the organization’s 34-year history when the current Executive Director, Marion Cott, retires in December 2006. Mulvihill presently serves as the Council’s Director of Programs, a position she has held since joining the council staff in 2001.

Mulvihill has worked in Kansas’ historical and cultural sector for fifteen years. Her previous experience includes serving as education coordinator at the Kansas State Historical Society and curator of education at the Johnson County Museum. Other work experience includes teaching in the KU Museum Studies graduate program, where she currently instructs the Nature or Museums course. On the national level, she is active with the AASLH, working to strengthen best practices standards in small museums.

The search committee reviewed over 30 applications from across the country. At the end of the process, Judy Billings, Lawrence, chair of the search committee, said, “We firmly believe Julie is the best person to lead KHC into the future. We were impressed by her passion for bringing humanities experiences to the public, which she has demonstrated through her work with diverse organizations across the state.”

During her tenure as Director of Programs, Mulvihill has guided the Council’s partnership with the national Museum on Main Street program that brings one-of-a-kind Smithsonian Institution exhibitions to rural communities statewide. Kansas has become a model partnership program. Mulvihill introduced Prime Time Family Reading Time, a reading and discussion program for families that focuses on low-level readers. She initiated Kansans Tell Their Stories, a project that encourages Kansans to research and preserve community history.

Randy Austin, Chair of the Council’s Board of Directors, expressed confidence in Mulvihill’s ability to lead the Council, “KHC is indeed fortunate to have as our next director a talented professional, who is familiar with our tradition of excellence, and who is willing and able to expand our horizons even more. The KHC Board of Directors looks forward to working with and being guided by Julie as she begins what we hope will be a long tenure as the Council’s executive director.”

A native Kansan, Mulvihill is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a Masters in Historical Administration and Museum Studies. She lives with her husband in rural Jefferson County on the family farm. Regarding her appointment as KHC executive director, Mulvihill said, “ I know from my work as Director of Programs that KHC provides much-needed resources to help cultural agencies in our state realize their full potential. As the next executive director, I hope to ensure the legacy of the first 34 years, continue expanding the reach of KHC programs, and introduce new directions for the 21st century. I appreciate the confidence the board of directors has placed in me, and I look forward to working in close partnership with them and the Council’s many supporters across the state.”

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