What Others Say About US

Sam and I were colleagues for a decade when we both worked at museums in Maine, a relatively small professional community where the leaders truly stand out. I have nothing but good recollections of this experience, in particular, the years when Sam was President of the Maine Archives and Museums Association and I was also on that board. Sam is an excellent facilitator, a "Big Picture" thinker, and a taskmaster who can get results without losing his sense of humor or his respect for the humanity that lies at the core of every museum's mission. In short, I found his leadership to be inspirational and would highly recommend him to organizations that are engaged in the hard work of moving to the next level of maturity--Sam will be a first-rate conductor of your journey.

- Testimonial: Debbie Smith, Former Chair, Maine Cultural Affairs Council -

Sam and I met through the organizing committee for the Society of Maine Archivists in the late 1980s. Sam’s energy and ability to facilitate the planning and organizing process was vital to starting that Society. A parallel group was started for Museums and a decade later Sam facilitated the strategic planning for a merger of these two Maine professional organizations. It was an involved and somewhat delicate process which Sam led, and then he was asked to be the President of the resulting group, Maine Archives, and Museums, is still going strong today.

- Testimonial - Paige Lilly, Curator- Castine Historical Society (Maine) -

As Board Member and Chair at the Washington County Museum, I worked very closely with Sam for several years. I found him to be hard-working and diligent. Sam is a man of vision. He has a wide variety of practical skills, like handling nearly all of the technology needs himself. He is a genius for wringing costs out of a budget, and particularly adept at building "working partnerships" with other organizations and agencies for mutual benefit.

- Virginia Ohler, President, Washington County Museum -

Sam joined the Penobscot Marine Museum after I did as Archivist/Librarian in 1989...Sam is an idea man, so things started happening quickly, particularly around improving systems. Projects ranged from campus unification through mapping and signage (NEH grants), award winning multi-disciplinary exhibits, and collections care through conservation surveys and implementation projects. He worked with the Board and other staff to achieve reaccreditation through American Association of Museums. Sam brought a vision of the kind which not only sees connections but also brings people together to work strategically to achieve their goals. Save

- Testimonial: Paige Lilly, Curator, Castine Historical Society -

Sam did an excellent job directing historic archaeological projects, organising the archives, and supervising the Maine history collection. He was particularly effective in working with volunteers and was also a leader in the Maine museum community. He brought a high degree of enthusiasm and professionalism to the position and was a pleasure to work with.

- Dr. Emerson Baker, Salem State College -

Sam has a great vision and sees the long-term possibilities. He understands the cultural, as well as the heritage side of nonprofit organizations

- Barbara Mason, Washington County Cultural Coalition -

Sam stepped into a pressure filled situation...without a successful Hague Accreditation for International Adoptions, Journeys of the Heart Adoption Services would be out of business, end of story...

- Susan Thompkins, MSW, Journeys of the Heart Adoption Services -