The Museum Summit Program

Keynotes Announced: Vu Le on October 15 and Michael D. Smith on October 16

A graphic with concentric circles that illuminate in yellow, teal, and magenta

THE MUSEUM SUMMIT PROGRAM

VIRTUAL • OCTOBER 15-16, 2025

Virtual • October 15-16, 2025

October 15: 1 – 5 pm ET
October 16: 1 – 5 pm ET

Browse the program and keynote speakers below.

The Museum Summit has ended. Purchase access to the recordings to replay through December 31, 2025.

PURCHASE SESSION RECORDINGS

DAY ONE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15

Mission, Values, and the Politics of Pressure

1 – 2 pm ET

Welcome from AAM President & CEO, Marilyn Jackson and Keynote Speaker, Vu Le

Hope and Imagination: How Nonprofits Can and Must Respond During These Tumultuous Times

Museums and other nonprofits continue to face a barrage of attacks that make us question who we are and how we can survive and do our work. It is understandable to hunker down and go into protection mode. But also, we must see and use the opportunity to radically rethink how we do things. We can embrace hope and imagination and the strengths of our sector to create a more just and equitable world, at a time when we are most needed.

Vu Le (“voo lay”) writes the blog NonprofitAF.com. He is the former executive director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by supporting leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities. Vu is a founding board member of Community-Centric Fundraising, a movement that aims to ground fundraising practices in racial equity and social justice. Vu was born in Vietnam. He and his family came to the US when Vu was eight. He spent several years in Seattle, attending elementary and middle school, before moving to Memphis, Tennessee for high school and St. Louis for college and graduate school. He has a BA in Psychology and a Master in Social work. He is a vegan, a father of two kids (ages ten and seven), and a staunch defender of the Oxford Comma.

Vu Le’s new book is coming out October 14, 2025! Be one of the first 50 registrants to The Museum Summit to receive a free copy of Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector.

2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Case Studies: Mission, Values, and the Politics of Pressure

Learn from museum leaders who have successfully navigated the tension between staying true to institutional mission and values while responding to external and internal pressures. Featured case studies include:

1. The Irving Archives and Museum, alongside their partner organization Badge of Pride, will share how they remained committed to inclusive, authentic storytelling while navigating ideological tensions and protecting staff, visitors and institutional integrity during the creation of the largest artifact-based LGBTQ+ exhibit in Texas history.

2. The US Marshals Museum and partner TAIT will discuss how they maintained public trust through accurate historical storytelling – even when addressing unpopular topics or difficult chapters in American history.

3. Scott Stulen, Director and CEO of the Seattle Art Museum will explore how museum staff and leaders can navigate today’s complex political landscape with courage and clarity.

Each presentation will highlight key lessons learned and actionable takeaways that attendees can implement at their home institutions.

Presenters:

Jennifer Landry, Director of Museums, Irving Archives and Museum

Adrian Cardwell, Executive Director, Badge of Pride

Cynthia Sharpe, Senior Principal, TAIT

David Kennedy, Curator of Collections and Exhibits, US Marshals Museum

Scott Stulen, Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO, Seattle Art Museum

3:00 – 3:15 pm ET

Break

3:15 – 3:30 pm ET

How to Go Deeper

Ready to continue the conversation beyond The Museum Summit? This section of the program highlights AAM resources and opportunities for connection to help you sustain momentum, including out new Communities, advocacy initiatives, and ongoing webinar series. Discover training opportunities and partner organizations that can support your institution’s journey toward mission-driven leadership.

3:30 – 5:00 pm ET

Workshops: Mission, Values, and the Politics of Pressure

Cap off your day with one of three intensive workshops. Each 90-minute session, led by expert facilitators, delivers practical training, strategies and frameworks for action, and concrete guidance to help your institution maintain mission alignment even while facing external pushback.

1. Values-Aligned Decision Making: Learn to integrate organizational values into every decision through the ‘strategy screen’ framework. This hands-on workshop provides opportunities to practice applying this tool to real museum scenarios while identifying additional contexts where values-based decision-making can strengthen your institution. Participants will leave the workshop with a Digital Participant Guide and the knowledge needed to develop their own, customized strategy screens for their home institutions.

2. What is Allyship?: Adapted from Service Never Sleeps’ signature training, this workshop equips participants to recognize areas of privilege and understand their personal responsibility in pursuing social justice. Through this workshop, participants will learn to center marginalized voices, engage in personal development, and influence positive change in others. The session emphasizes an intersectional approach that centers race as fundamental to achieving collective liberation. Participants will learn the C.L.A.I.M. framework (Care, Learn, Act, Influence, and Maintain) for sustaining the ongoing “forever work” of an Allyship lifestyle.

3. Social Change Roles in Crisis and Beyond: Learn to navigate the complex pressures facing museums today and discover actionable strategies to support your institution’s resilience. This workshop introduces participants to the Social Change Ecosystem framework through hands-on mapping exercises where you’ll identify your institution’s role and explore new possibilities for impact. Learn practical approaches for fostering public trust, building sustainable infrastructure, and experimenting with innovative roles to meet community needs in our rapidly changing landscape.

Presenters:

Dan Egol, Co-Founder & Executive Director, IDEAS Generation

Whitney Parnell, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Service Never Sleeps

Deepa Iyer, Lawyer, Strategist, and Writer

DAY TWO: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16

The Next Era of Volunteerism

1:00 – 2:00 pm ET

Welcome & Keynote Speaker, Michael D. Smith

The Next Era of Volunteerism

Volunteers are integral to the museum ecosystem, but what will volunteerism look like as our field continues to evolve over the next 5, 20, or even 100 years? Center for the Future of Museums Founding Director Elizabeth Merritt opens Day 2 of The Museum Summit by exploring the future of volunteer engagement. Our keynote speaker, Michael D. Smith – former CEO of AmeriCorps and current President and CEO of Eckerd Connects, one of the nation’s largest nonprofits dedicated to workforce development, family support, and youth services – brings invaluable perspective on building sustainable volunteer relationships that equitably serve both organizations and communities.

Michael D. Smith is a nationally respected social impact leader with decades of experience transforming systems, scaling opportunity, and uniting cross-sector partners to support youth, families, and communities.

As President and CEO of Eckerd Connects, he leads one of the country’s largest nonprofits dedicated to workforce development, family support, and youth services. With over 2,000 employees and operations across 21 states and Washington, D.C., Eckerd Connects helps over 23,500 people each year gain the resources, skills, and support needed to thrive.

Smith has led organizational transformations across every level—from grassroots nonprofits to a $1.3 billion federal agency. His commitment to service is deeply personal. Raised by teen parents in a caring, under-resourced community in Western Massachusetts, he found mentorship and possibility at his local Boys & Girls Club. At 16, he became a congressional intern, where he first saw how policy could be a lever for change. He later returned to work at the same Boys & Girls Club that shaped him, launching a career devoted to opening doors for underserved children and families.

Most recently, Smith served as CEO of AmeriCorps, overseeing $4 billion in assets and more than 200,000 service members annually in over 40,000 locations. He led the agency through a period of modernization and growth—expanding opportunity, strengthening member benefits, and launching new initiatives focused on youth mental health, conservation, and public health.

From 2017 to 2021, he served in the White House and at the Obama Foundation, leading the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, supporting over 250 communities working to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color, and underserved youth. Earlier, as Director of the Social Innovation Fund, he managed a $700 million public-private portfolio to scale evidence-based solutions nationwide. At the Case Foundation, he drove philanthropic efforts to advance civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility—partnering with both the Bush and Obama administrations on initiatives including the bipartisan JOBS Act.

After leaving the federal government, Smith founded a pro-social consulting firm working with organizations like Blue Meridian, Harlem Children’s Zone, Kapor Center and the state of Maryland on initiatives to reduce barriers and expand opportunity for underserved communities. Smith has served on the boards of Results for America, Venture Philanthropy Partners, Public Allies, Idealist.org, and Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement.

2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Case Studies: The Next Era of Volunteerism

Discover how three museums successfully transformed their volunteer programs to meet evolving community needs and organizational goals. Featured case studies include:

1. The Cook Foundation and Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester will share how they transitioned from a traditional volunteer program to one rooted in authentic, sustainable community engagement – resulting in both a more diverse volunteer and visitor base.

2. The Fort Worth Botanic Garden will discuss how they rebuilt their volunteer program after years of work with fragmented, independent groups, ultimately creating a united cadre of volunteers capable of supporting the diverse needs of a growing institution.

3. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art will share how they reimagined their volunteer program to be more inclusive and accessible across their multi-museum campus through updated training and strategic use of technology.

Each case study highlights practical lessons learned and actionable strategies participants can adapt to help evolve their own institutions’ volunteer programs.

Presenters:

Deborah Billups, Co-Curator and Liaison, Descendant Community & Woodville Rosenwald School

Elizabeth Blackney, Executive Director, The Cook Foundation & Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester

Ryan Kough, Director of Engagement, Fort Worth Botanic Garden

Jane Harris, Museum Education & Training Specialist, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

3:00 – 3:15 pm ET

Break

3:15 – 3:30 pm ET

How to Go Deeper

3:30 – 5:00 pm ET

Workshops: The Next Era of Volunteerism

1. From Free Labor to Engaged Partners: Reimagining Volunteerism for Equity, Impact, and Purpose: This transformative workshop will guide museum professionals through a fundamental reframing of volunteer relationships – shifting from transactional “free labor” to meaningful partnerships that require nurturing and investment. Explore strategies for building equitable, inclusive volunteer environments that authentically reflect the communities your organization serves. The session concludes with strategies to advocate for volunteer program sustainability and secure leadership support in times of organizational strain. Each segment features brief, focused presentations from multiple presenters along with a moderator who guides the session, plus peer discussions practical and take-home tools.

2. Innovations in Reporting the Magnitude and Scope of Volunteer Engagement: Effectively communicating volunteer impact requires more than counting hours and volunteers – it means telling the complete story of how volunteer engagement creates value for your museum’s visitors, staff, collections, and community. This workshop introduces practical approaches for capturing and communicating both qualitative and quantitative impacts that demonstrate how volunteer engagement is essential to mission-fulfillment. Participants will explore some of the latest metrics, learn to articulate the multifaceted ways volunteers contribute to institutional success, and gain tools to make the case for volunteers as a vital resource.

3. Reimagine Volunteer Engagement with the Civic Circle®: Discover how the Points of Light Civic Circle® can help museums reimagine volunteering for today’s shifting cultural and economic landscape. Born from the recognition that effective volunteer engagement means meeting people where they are, this inclusive model expands beyond traditional volunteer roles to embrace diverse forms of civic participation – from advocacy and voice to purchasing power and community action.

This workshop introduces practical strategies for applying the Civic Circle® in museum settings to broaden engagement, reach new audiences, and deepen community connections. Participants will explore current research on volunteerism trends and challenges, learn to reduce barriers and increase accessibility in volunteer programs, and discover creative approaches to what engaged partners and volunteers can look like in a post-pandemic era. The session includes opportunities for small-group problem-solving around specific institutional challenges and introduces core volunteer management principles that connect people to purpose and impact.