Dear Friends and Colleagues:
I can hardly believe that it has been seventeen years since I was asked to be the Interim Director of what was then the Framingham Historical Society. I was serving on the Board of Directors at the time and working as a Development Consultant for non-profit organizations. My first task was to write a proposal in response to the Town of Framingham’s request for a plan to steward the Edgell Memorial Library, Old Academy Building and Village Hall. It seemed like a good fit at the time and today, as I look toward my retirement in May 2022, I know that it was.
When I first took the helm, there was real urgency around stopping the “demolition by neglect” facing the town’s most historic buildings on the Centre Common. I was happy to be their champion at Town Meeting and eventually among state and local funders. Along the way, I also became an advocate for the amazing collections these buildings housed and the stories they told about Framingham history. All that I have learned during my tenure here has confirmed the potential I sensed from the beginning for the Framingham History Center to become the community asset that it is today.
It has been exhilarating to be a part of creating such an array of programs, exhibits and events with so many talented and dedicated staff and volunteers. My greatest joy has been to watch the enthusiasm volunteers and staff bring to a particular Framingham story or event and watch it blossom into a fantastic “home grown” program. To see our audiences grow over the years, even during the pandemic, has been remarkable. We are clearly making progress generating an understanding of how important local history is on both a personal and community level.
After seventeen years in a job that I have loved, it is time to pass on the reins of this wonderful organization. I have faith that our Search Committee will find a new Executive Director who will also sense the potential for this organization that I felt early on and still feel. They will be fortunate to lead a strong Board of Directors, an incredible staff, hard-working volunteers, and a growing number of members and donors.
We’ll keep you up to date as the search progresses. If you know someone who you think might be interested in this position, please pass the word. The job description will be posted at framinghamhistory.org this Friday, January 7. I’ll be taking a vacation next week but am here in the meantime if you have any questions or concerns.
This is not good-bye since I’ll be around through the end of May, but I did not want to close this letter without saying how much I’ve enjoyed the many friendships I’ve made over the years and how much your support has meant to me both personally and professionally.
With heartfelt thanks,
Annie Murphy
Executive Director
Dear friends,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to be among the first to thank Annie Murphy for her incredible dedication to the Framingham History Center over the past two decades. We are beyond grateful for all that she has done to champion the FHC. She has grown our small historical society into a vibrant history center producing outstanding monthly programs, exhibitions, and events.
Annie has been the driving force behind the preservation of Framingham’s most historic properties on the Centre Common. Her advocacy for these city-owned buildings resulted in town meeting appropriations of over $3 million, since 2007, to halt the deterioration of these landmark structures. The Edgell Memorial Library and the Old Academy Building now house the FHC’s collection of over 10,000 museum-quality items representing four centuries of the City’s history and the Village Hall reopened in 2019 as a fully accessible historical banquet facility serving the entire MetroWest region.
Always a faithful steward of the FHC’s resources, Annie has been responsible for securing nearly $1 million in grants from corporations, foundations, and individuals to match the town’s investment in these buildings since 2008. You may recall the excitement she was able to generate during an online voting competition run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for an American Express grant of $100,000 to restore the windows at the Edgell Memorial Library back in 2009. Framingham residents, past and present voted in droves, putting our history on the map and winning the grant.
A natural collaborator and leader, Annie has been tireless in her promotion of the arts and culture of Framingham throughout her time as Executive Director. She was instrumental in laying the groundwork that eventually led to the creation of MetroWest Visitor’s Bureau, as well as the Framingham Centre Common Cultural District. She served as Board Chair for each of these organizations while also continuing to manage the day to day operations of the FHC.
Thanks to Annie’s leadership, the FHC is in a stronger position than ever before, even while navigating the ever changing landscape of the current pandemic. The staff has grown from 1.5 full time personnel to the equivalent of 4.5 full time staff and the FHC’s Membership continues to grow as well. Annie has consistently cultivated and encouraged an atmosphere of creativity and discovery that will be part of her lasting legacy with this organization.
The FHC has grown into a well-regarded community resource that we are confident will attract strong candidates for consideration. Because we have plenty of notice of Annie’s departure, we expect a strong search process and a smooth transition.
Although it is certainly bittersweet, I hope you will join me in wishing Annie all the best for a joyful and fulfilling retirement.
With thanks,
Christine Tibor, Chair
Board of Directors