Obama nominates Matthew to lead cultural support agency

Local media completely missed story

By Andy Brack | It’s hard to believe that every Charleston media outlet missed a big news story about one of the city’s own.

Matthew

President Obama on March 10 nominated Charleston native and resident Kathryn “Kit” Matthew to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the federal agency that supports the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums to advance lifelong learning and promote cultural and civic engagement.  The agency, which has about five dozen employees, administers a budget that was $225 million in 2013.

So it’s a big deal. It’s a shame that our media missed this significant pat on the back for Matthew, a former director of philanthropy of the Historic Charleston Foundation. She is currently undergoing the process of being confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Matthew has a distinguished resume with varied, professional experiences in the public, nonprofit and private sectors.

She currently is chief science educator at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, a role she has held since 2014.  She served as a principal consultant and a product manager at Blackbaud, Inc., from 2008 to 2013, worked at the Historic Charleston Foundation from 2006 to 2008, and was an exhibits consultant at Chemical Heritage Foundation from 2005 to 2006.

Matthew was a vice president at Please Touch Museum from 2003 to 2005 and a director in marketing and philanthropy at The Nature Conservancy from 2001 to 2002.  She was a director in new product development at Reebok International from 1998 to 2001.  Matthew also held senior positions at various museums, including a director of education and exhibits development at Science City at Union Station from 1996 to 1998, executive director at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science from 1991 to 1994, deputy director at the Virginia Museum of Natural History from 1988 to 1990, and an assistant director at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History from 1986 to 1988.

Matthew received a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. She and her husband, George Stevens, live in Charleston.

Ford W. Bell, president of the American Alliance of Museum, said he was thrilled with Matthew’s nomination.

“She has amassed a great deal of knowledge about the breadth and diversity of the museum field,” he said in a statement. “Her roles have included director, curator, educator, exhibit developer, fundraiser, volunteer, board member, and in strategic communications and collections management, all of which will be exceedingly valuable as she works to support museums in their educational and public service roles.” Read more.