Barbara Mort, 58, joined BAHS as executive director in May, 2019 and brought with her nine years’ fund development and donor relations experience and more than 20 years’ experience in marketing, project and business management.   She founded and managed a start-up business including product development, sales, marketing, and print production; the business was sold four years later to a competitor. 

As executive director, she reports to and works closely with the Board of Directors.  Under her leadership, relationships have been developed with local community funding organizations including the Benzie County Community Chest and the Willoughby-Rotary Foundation, both of whom provided funding for our first education and community outreach intern.   BCCC also provided a capital improvement grant this past year.  In addition, BAHS was awarded a grant from the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs toward the BAHS BOD strategic planning work currently in progress. 

In her role, she is BAHS project manager for Remembering Benzie:  An Oral History Project, a collaboration with Benzie Central Schools and under the leadership and administration of the Benzonia Public Library.  This project is funded through a grant with the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.