History Museum on the Square announces leadership changes: Sellars steps back from role

Springfield's History Museum on the Square announced Thursday that its executive director since 2005, John Sellars, has been named "executive director emeritus."

"Emeritus" is a term associated with colleges, museums and the like, meaning that the former holder of an office has retired but allowed to retain their title as an honor.

But Sellars said he is not retiring. He told the News-Leader Thursday that he'll be stepping back from day-to-day operations of the museum, but will continue to work for the museum on a variety of projects, reporting to its board of directors.

"Katie Turer is going to become the executive director and do the day-to-day operations," Sellars said, "and I'm going to do the things I enjoy, I guess more than anything."

Turer, community outreach and visitor experience manager at the museum, will assume the role of executive director of the museum on March 1, the museum said Thursday. She will report directly to the board of directors, Sellars said. He said his own continuing duties will include outreach with the public, working with the photo archives, training museum staff and putting on programs.

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Sellars said Turer is "perfectly positioned to take this museum forward."

"Her experience in museums, and her experience in education in museums, is far beyond what I ever even thought of," he said.

New director Turer: a career museum leader

The two history museum leaders have very different career paths. Sellars said he began as a museum volunteer nearly 50 years ago when the museum operated from a small College Street storefront, but before leading the museum, Sellars had a career in the beverage industry. He started with Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company in Springfield and later worked with other companies elsewhere in the Ozarks, along with taking jobs in Atlanta and Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In 2000, Sellars moved back to Springfield and resumed museum activities before retiring from the beverage industry in 2004 and taking the museum's executive director job the following year. He has also previously served on the museum's board of directors.

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In contrast, Turer is a museum professional by experience and training. She began her career in 2013 at the 132-year-old Nantucket Historical Association and Whaling Museum on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

In 2017, Turer relocated to Springfield and took a position at Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium as it reopened. In 2019, she joined the history museum as guest experience manager, taking on an expanded role last year as community outreach and visitor experience manager. That means Turer oversaw efforts to grow the museum’s educational offerings and community partnerships, and she managed the museum’s operational strategy and programming.

Turer earned her college degree in sociology and history from the University of California, Davis, then a master's degree in museum studies from George Washington University in D.C.

Biggest advance for history museum since 2005? 'Ultramodern' new facility, Sellars says

Sellars said that "there's no question" that the most significant accomplishment for the museum during his 17-year watch as executive director was the opening of the museum's current facility on Park Central Square in summer 2019. It has won accolades as the "best new attraction" of 2019 from USA TODAY'S 10Best travel advice website; Sellars says the new facility offers "this ultramodern way of telling the history of this area."

In 2014, the museum moved from Historic City Hall to a temporary home in the Fox Theatre, a few doors down from its current home in the former Barth’s clothing store building and Sherwood law office.

"John’s love of his hometown, passion for history, and professional experience made him an exceptional leader for the History Museum on the Square," museum officials said in a news release Thursday, calling Sellars' time as executive director "an era of great growth and development." The current facility has hosted visitors from across the U.S. and from 25 other nations, officials said Thursday.

"We are very grateful to John for his many years of service to the museum and are thrilled by his continued commitment to its future," said museum board president Mary McQueary in a written statement.

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McQueary also praised Turer's promotion to executive director.

Sellars said, "I'm very honored that they think enough of me to make this move" to continue in an emeritus role.

"I think it'll be a great benefit to everybody involved."

Reach News-Leader reporter Gregory Holman by emailing gholman@gannett.com. He is also on Twitter at @GregHolmanNL. Please consider subscribing to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield's History Museum on the Square announces leadership change