This has been updated to add new information.
The Brown County Neville Public Museum and Children’s Museum of Green Bay have decided to end discussions about exploring a collaboration on the Neville property.
The participants on Aug. 17 recommended to suspend the discussions and instead shift to separate conversations with residents about how best to support both organizations, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation CEO Dennis Buehler said.
The task force consisted of representatives from both museums’ boards and other key stakeholders who spent the last three months exploring whether the two organizations had a shared, sustainable future together in downtown Green Bay.
In an exclusive interview with the Press-Gazette, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation CEO Dennis Buehler said it will be up to the Green Bay area to help two vital community institutions find a sustainable path forward at a time when museums and nonprofits across the U.S. face funding and facility challenges.
The task force generally found the nonprofits had a shared vision worth further exploration and spent the summer assessing how it might work and if it would be feasible. The group considered both renovations to the Neville’s existing building and a possible expansion when it became clear the two organizations would need more space to increase attendance and interactivity. They also weighed things like merging cultures, community advocacy, financing, operating structure and impacts on the philanthropic community that supports both the Neville and the Children’s Museum.
Ultimately, they decided to independently pursue their future visions and to fully engage the Green Bay-area to determine their individual next steps.
While the Neville and Children’s museums didn’t find a way forward together, Buehler said it was necessary for the stakeholders to discuss their objectives, what shared success would look like, if their missions aligned, and what challenges they’d face.
“I really commend all the parties who came together to deliberate thoughtfully through all the key issues. The result might be disappointing to some, but it was incredibly valuable to identify both organizations’ paths forward,” he said. “There are challenges and needs from both. They deserve our advocacy and engagement.”
County to hire permanent Neville Public Museum director
The report recommends the Neville Museum and the Neville Public Museum Foundation recognize the need to change while protecting a “deeply important, accredited institution.” It recommends the Neville tap new leadership, identify more community partners, make better use of underutilized space and diversify financial support through collaborative programming.
Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach declined an interview request from the Press-Gazette, but issued a statement thanking the foundation and Buehler for leading the effort to consider a merger. Streckenbach added he will move forward with hiring a permanent museum director in line with the task force’s recommendations.
County Board member Dan Theno, who represented Brown County on the task force, said the county and community got the answer to one question – would a merger of the two groups work? – but said questions remain about how to preserve and grow the Neville going forward.
Theno made clear the County Board supports the Neville as the community tackles the issue.
“There is virtually no support on the County Board for eliminating the Neville Museum or endangering its accreditation,” he said. “The questions now are: What positive steps can we take to ensure the continued financial viability of the Neville? And how it can augment its offerings to the general public?”
The task force’s recommendation drew applause from County Board member Patrick Evans, a staunch critic of the merger idea. Evans said it was “fantastic” that Streckenbach planned to hire a permanent director.
“It’s been too long. We’re approaching a year without a director of the Neville. That never happened with any other position in the county,” Evans said.
Children’s Museum to revisit capital campaign and expansion effort
Children’s Museum of Green Bay Executive Director Toni Burnett in an email said the merger would have been an “uphill climb” from the start and that through discussions “real differences in how the two organizations saw the future” emerged.
But Burnett also found cause for excitement and encouragement by the task force’s recommendation.
The task force suggested the Children’s Museum reimagine its future vision and secure a long-term home by talking with community partners to seek new site options, developing a dynamic future plan and rallying the community to support the plan. Both the City of Green Bay and community foundation both committed to continue working with the museum to find and fund a long-term home.
Burnett said the organization’s staff and board will look to align the recommendation with the museum’s ongoing Reaching New Heights capital campaign.
“The vision behind Reaching New Heights is still alive. What’s changed is that we now have the chance to take a broader look at where and how that vision moves forward,” Burnett said. “What I’m excited about is what comes next. The City of Green Bay and the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation want to stay engaged with us as we look at options for a long-term home, and the Foundation has committed financial support to help us through that process.”
More key takeaways from task force discussions
Buehler on Aug. 17 provided the Press-Gazette with a five-page final report on the task force’s efforts.
The group’s work fell into three general phases: Strategic visioning discussions to explore whether the organizations had common ground, studying the feasibility and deeper implications of a partnership in the Neville space, and whether to proceed with further discussions.
Here’s some of the key takeaways from the final report:
Who was on the Neville, Children’s Museum task force?
Here’s the full list of task force participants Buehler provided.
The task force also received additional counsel and support from Ascent Leadership’s Dean Stewart, Somerville Architects, community foundation staff and staff at both museums.
Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X at @JeffBollier.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Future plans emerge as Neville, Children’s Museum end merger talks
Reporting by Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
