Young America’s Foundation is seeking a chief curator who will preserve and protect the Presidential properties of the greatest President of the 20th century, Ronald Reagan. The chief curator would oversee the preservation of Rancho del Cielo, known across the globe as Ronald Reagan’s Western White House, and President Reagan’s Boyhood Home in Dixon, Illinois, along with the related properties, archives, and exhibit halls.
The chief curator will work with YAF’s leadership and program team to advance the public outreach and educational impact of the Reagan properties. The ideal candidate will have a strong grounding in history, preservation, and curation and a commitment to the mission and work of Young America’s Foundation. The candidate should also have excellent research, communication, project management, and problem-solving skills and display enthusiasm for sharing the life and ideas of Ronald Reagan.
Projects will vary and will include:
- Managing unique and high-value historical collections, both original artifacts from the Reagan properties and gifted collections (including letters, memorabilia, artwork, etc.)
- Preparing exhibits for display at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California, and the Reagan Boyhood Home Visitor Center in Dixon, Illinois—utilizing internal resources and exhibit design professionals
- Sharing the exhibit galleries and Presidential homes with students, key stakeholders, historians, and Reagan contemporaries, as well as developing creative approaches to marketing public visitation to these Presidential properties
- Preserving artifacts from the Presidential properties and finding effective and creative ways to protect original features as they age
- Completing research projects which further Young America’s Foundation’s mission
- Conducting oral histories with those connected to the history of the Reagan Presidency, Reagan Boyhood Home, Reagan Ranch, and Young America’s Foundation
- Oversee an assistant curator and curatorial interns, assigning tasks and projects as necessary
- Working with and managing dedicated corps of volunteer docents
This position is a unique opportunity to advance professionally within the field of curation, historic preservation, and non-profit work.
