CHRISTIANSBURG – Casey Jenkins, Executive Director of the Montgomery Museum will be leaving the museum in early January 2025 to become the Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Museums (VAM), the country’s largest state museum association.
Jenkins will begin his new role with VAM Jan. 13, 2025. He has served as executive director of MMAH for three-and-a-half years.
Montgomery Museum Board President, Dr. Jean Haskell said Jenkin’s leadership has helped the museum grow.
“The museum has flourished under Casey’s leadership and we will miss him as a professional colleague and personal friend,” said Haskell. “We wish him every success as he takes on the new leadership role for all Virginia museums.”
Jenkins began his tenure with the Montgomery Museum in June 2021, helping the museum navigate through the challenges of the pandemic. In the fall of 2021, Jenkins and the board of directors led the charge in relocating the museum’s operations to downtown Christiansburg in a 15,000 sq. ft. old bank building. An official ribbon cutting was held in June 2022 to kick off a new era for the museum. Since the fall of 2021, Jenkins and the board of directors have raised approximately $1.5 million dollars in capital funds applied toward the museum building enhancements and infrastructure projects. The capital campaign remains on-going to continue raising funds for the museum.
During the past three years, the museum has seen a 250% increase in visitation and its
operating budget has grown by 225% over the same time period. Jenkins and staff have
developed numerous new programs, events, and exhibits, made possible by the new space they have occupied over the past two and half years. Under the leadership of Jenkins, the museum was the recipient of the 2023 Innovation Award from the Virginia Association of Museums and a recipient of the 2024 Community Preservation Award from Preservation Virginia. In 2022 the Montgomery Museum was selected as the recipient of the Small Non-Profit of the Year Award by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. In 2023, Jenkins was selected as the Distinguished Non-Profit Leader of the Year award by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.
More recently, Jenkins along with the board of directors and museum staff, completed a new five-year strategic plan for the museum. The museum and Montgomery County are looking ahead to a bright future as plans are being made to celebrate the semi-quincentennial. Montgomery County will turn 250 years old sharing the same anniversary as the birth of the country in 2026.
“This is a very bittersweet moment,” said Jenkins. “Working as the Executive Director of the Montgomery Museum of Art and History has been the best job of my life. I am amazed and inspired by the people who give their time and energy to this growing museum. I am deeply grateful for the past three and half years to have worked with such a wonderful board, staff, and plethora of museum volunteers that make this such a special place.”
The Montgomery Museum board of directors will announce more information soon regarding the leadership transition for 2025. Jenkins will remain with the museum through the end of the year to ensure the museum ends the year on a strong programmatic and financial footing.
Montgomery Museum
