The Cherry Valley Group Fax: (518)
234-0115
Elm Street, Suite 2 E-mail: tom@cherryvalley.com
Cobleskill, NY
12043
Professional Experience:
August 2002 to present
Founder and Principal of The Cherry Valley Group, Cherry Valley, New York, offering planning and public program design and development to the cultural community. CVG was formed by Mr. Elliott and other senior museum professionals with the idea of helping museums meet planning and public programming goals. CVG planners and designers employ their collective experience and vision to assist museums, sites, and government agencies in telling important stories, while strengthening connections to people, their communities and constituents.
Sole proprietor of Thomas M. Elliott, Consultant, Cobleskill, New York, providing exhibit development, design, and management through installation of exhibits for museums and cultural organizations. Services also include marketing, display work, point of sale work, event planning and project management for business and government throughout central and eastern New York.
Director and CEO, The Iroquois Indian Museum, Howes Cave, New York. Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Museum, hiring and training staff and the external affairs of the museum. Emphasis was on fund raising, membership development, and creating sustainable public programming working with leading Iroquois folk, visual, and performing artists from eastern North America. Reported to the Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Chief of Design and Production, New York State Museum, Albany, New York. Member of the senior management team for planning and administration, responsible for exhibits programs and publications. This included traveling and temporary exhibit programs determined by the Exhibitions Committee, (Chair), as well as long-term exhibits, a variety of publications, and signs. Supervised and led a work force of 39 designers and technicians.
November 1982 to August 1991
Head of Design and Production, The Henry Ford (Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village), Dearborn, MI. A member of the program management team responsible for planning and administering exhibits at the dual indoor/outdoor Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village. Responsibilities included oversight and review of exhibits and publications, supervision of design, production, and publications staff, and budget development and performance. Served as project manager for the $4.7 million "Automobile in American Life" exhibit (1987). Was Project Director for the $6 million "Made in America" exhibit project (through 12/91). Began as Manager of Exhibits in 1982, and was responsible for work groups that ranged in size from nine to twenty-five over ten years of employment.
Curator of Exhibitions, Artrain, Inc., Detroit, MI. Supervised a staff of five that was responsible for developing from concept through production exhibits, catalogues, and related materials for this unique traveling art museum. Duties included selecting artworks for the exhibits and preparing interpretive publications and labels. Began at Artrain, Inc. as the on-board gallery manager. In that position, was responsible for the operation of the train while touring, hiring of on-board staff of arts educators and technicians, and for installation and shipping of artworks.
Education:
1975 - Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
1978 - Masters of Fine Arts degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Arts, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
1985 - seminar titled, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Control," through Michigan State University Executive Programs office.
1991- completed a ten-week course titled "Master Manager: A Competency Framework,” at the University of Michigan, Dearborn campus.
1995 - completed a course titled "AutoCad vr. 12.0" at Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, New York.
1999 - completed a seminar titled, "Tools for Change: Change Acceleration Process," presented by General Electric training office, Schenectady, New York.
2001 – completed 2002-2001 Small Business Entrepreneurial Training Series, at State University at New York, Cobleskill campus.
Service to the Field & Community
1982 – present Member of the American Association of Museums, and N.A.M.E., the National Association for Museum Exhibition.
1995 Developed and conducted a day-long pre-conference workshop titled, “Weed ‘Em and Reap,” which was presented at the Fall, 1995 Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums conference held at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, to show how best practices in exhibit development improve the an exhibition’s communication power, making them more memorable to audiences.
1996 – 2003 Served on the Tourism Committee of the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce
1997 – 2005 Member of The Rotary Club of Cobleskill
1998 Served as Field reviewer for the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.
2003 co-developed and presented a day-long pre-conference workshop titled, “Doing it Digitally: Effectively Using Computer Technology in Exhibits, which was presented at the Summer annual meeting of the Association for Living History Farms and Agricultural Museums held at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
2005 – 2006 Served as member of the Hospitality Committee, Schenectady, NY Chamber of Commerce
Clients List:
The Detroit Institute of Arts Education Department, Detroit, MI.
The Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit, MI.
The Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN.
Fair Lane Manor, (Henry Ford Estate), Dearborn, MI.
The Motown Museum, Detroit, MI.
The Wilmington Railroad Museum, Wilmington, NC.
The Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY.
Web Archivist.org, SUNY Institute of Technology, Utica, NY.
The Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural and Sports Center, East Durham, NY.
Howe Caverns, Inc., Howes Cave, NY.
The Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA.
The Trustees of Reservations, Stockbridge, MA.
The Mill at Anselma Historic and Educational Trust, Chester Springs, PA.
Friends of Hancock’s Resolution, Gibson Island, MA
The Delaware County Historical Association, Delhi, NY
The Big Springs Museum, Caledonia, NY
The Middlefield Historical Society, Middlefield, NY
R.J. Millworkers, Oneonta, NY
Natura Productions, Fly Creek, NY
Hancock Shaker Village, Hancock, MA
The Cave House Museum of Mining & Geology, Howes Cave, NY
Cane River National Heritage Area Commission (Melrose Plantation) Natchitoches, LA
Schoharie County Planning and Development Department, NY
Corning Painted Post Historical Association, NY
Hanford Mills Museum, NY
Monmouth County Park System, Lincroft, NJ
Genesee Country Village and Museum, NY