PROJECT GOALS AND IMPACT
Project Overview
CATEGORY
Strategic Planning and Organizational Development
CLIENT
City of Lethbridge
Connecting with people from previous generations - sharing their lives, dreams, disappointments and hopes - helps us understand ourselves, shapes and enriches our communities. The Sir Alexander Galt Museum was first opened in 1967 and expanded in 1984 to share these stories with the community and visitors.
In 2002, the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives embarked on a bold new strategic direction to better tell these stories. Embracing and respecting its current facility - the historic Sir Alexander Galt Hospital - the Galt constructed a new contemporary addition that continues to elevate the profile and accessibility of the area’s cultural history and strengthen the museum’s role as a centre for community activity and learning to this day.
Rebranded as the Galt Museum and Archives, the expanded museum reopened on 6 May 2006. The expansion included:
the Discovery Hall, a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) exhibit centre with the permanent exhibit Exploring Southwestern Alberta and frequently changing temporary exhibits;
a 2,700 square foot flexible community events space;
a 1,700 square foot museum store;
3 new community meeting rooms. and
the 2,500-square-foot (230 m2) Galt Education Centre.
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I successfully led the Galt Museum and Archives through a period of organizational change, achieving the following:
Comprehensive Project Completion: Managed the Galt Expansion project from start to finish, overseeing interior furnishings, equipment, lighting, and security systems.
Enhanced Community Relationships: Transformed community relations through a participatory museum approach, revitalized the volunteer program, and implemented inclusive policies.
Inclusive Visitor Experience: Created an inclusive, story-centric visitor experience, encouraging visitors to share their perspectives.
Indigenous Community Engagement: Partnered with neighboring Indigenous communities, installing a Kainai storytelling space and hiring a Kainai interpreter.
Team Growth and Culture: Expanded the team from 5 to 11 members, fostering a collaborative culture focused on learning, excellence, empathy, and inclusiveness.
Significant Budget Growth: Increased the museum’s budget from $228,000 to $1.2 million, with the museum shop generating $90,000 in the first year.
Exemplary Collections Management: Enhanced collections management, the Alberta Museums Association award.
Effective Operational Management: Managed museum operations for the first year, resolving all system and operational issues.
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Development of the social museum model
Change management strategy, 2004-2007
Governance and operational policies and procedures manual (new, 2006)
Business plans for 2002-2005 and 2006-2008
Strategic plan, 2007 - 2011
Visitor experience master plan and visitor experience strategy for for 2002 - 2005, 2006 -2008
Curatorial oversight of the core exhibit from concept to fabrication, while providing oversight for a major collections move and rehousing project once it was moved back.
Capital campaign fund development strategy, including all grant and funding proposals.
Brand story development, temporary Galt brand plan (2004/06) and new Galt Museum brand strategy.
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I was engaged as CEO/Executive Director to take the organization from the Decline stage of the non-profit life cycle though a Renewal stage and into the Growth stage with a major capital campaign and facility expansion while renewing the museum’s relationship with the community.
In my capacity of CEO/Executive Director, I was responsible for leading the Galt Expansion Project up to the offical start of facility development. Then, as a City capital project, the project was co-managed between the City and the museum:
Project Manager, Facilities Development
Reg Arshenko, Project Manager - Facilities
City of LethbridgeProject Manager, Museum Development:
Ron Ulrich, CEO/Executive Director
Galt Museum and Archives
As co-project managers, were were supported by the City's Chief Finance Officer and a and the Museum, supported by a working advisory committee of city staff, museum staff and the chairs of the Galt Board and the Galt Capital Campaign..
The role required delicate management of government and stakeholder relations, donors, contractors and staff.
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Award in Collections Management for Operation Homecoming | Alberta Museums Association, 2007
Change and Innovation Award | Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, 2007
The Expansion
Journey
2004 - 2006
Galt Museum capital campaign raises full $2.42 million goal.
The Galt Campaign cabinet held its first meeting in February 2004, tasked with raising $2.8 million (later revised to $2.42 million) over 2 years. Ron Ulrich and Anine Vonkeman were assigned to the Galt’s Development Team. KCI Canada was engaged to support the Galt’s development team and Campaign Cabinet.
2003
The Discovery Phase
(Phase I) of the Galt
expansion project is
approved.
In this phase, the Galt engaged two of its principle project contractors - Kasian Architects and KCI Canada (Calgary). Jane Ferreby, as lead architect, completed the Functional Building Study, in which the architect considers how the building can be laid out to maximize efficiencies in space, movement, and systems. Once the budget number was determined, a campaign feasibility study was completed by Kathy Greenwood with KCI Canada (Calgary office).
2004-2005
Design/build contract
awarded, construction
begins.
Embracing and respecting its current
|facility - the historic Sir Alexander Galt
Hospital - the Galt constructs a new contemporary addition that continues
to elevate the profile and accessibility
of the area’s cultural history and
strengthen the museum’s role as
a centre for community activity and
learning to this day.
2006
New branding for the Galt Museum unveiled.
Stories Unfolding was a brilliant tragline, suggesting that stories reveal more of themselves over time as they are explored.
2004 - 2006
Galt Museum awards exhibit contract to Robertson-Weir.
Two project teams are now working side-by-side on the project: Facility Management, led by Reg Arshenko, and Museum Development, led by Ron Ulrich
2004
Galt Museum meets criteria
for project approval in civic 2004 - 2006 capital budget.
The Galt reports to Council that it:
achieved / exceeded visitation and revenue targets for 2002 and 2003;
receive verbal funding assurance of funding from the higest level federally and provincially.
created a 3 year business plan for the expanded facility, approved as part of the city’s budget deliberations.
conducted a campaign feasibility study which confirmed that the Galt could be succesful in raising $2.8 (later $2.42) million in capital funding.
2004 - 2005
Galt Museum moves its operations.
Offices, archives move to Lethbridge Centre professional tower, the shop and exhibits to Park Place mall, and collections put in storage for 2004 and 2005.
The move into the new Galt begins early 2006.
1984 to 2002
The Galt Museum outgrows its 1984 expansion. A new, bold facility and program renewal strategy is created.
In 2002, the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives embarked on a bold new strategic direction to better tell these stories through our collections, exhibits and programming.
By embracing and respecting its current facility - the historic Sir Alexander Galt Hospital - the Galt looks t o construct a new contemporary addition that would elevate the profile and accessibility of the area’s cultural history, commmunity activity and learning to this day.
2001 to 2003
Galt Museum under pressure to demonstrate need for new facility.
To get the Galt expansion project greenlit, the Museum achieve these two goals:
demonstrate the need for a new facility by increasing visitation from 18,000 in 2002 to 53,000 by 2004, and
grow its profile regionally and nationally in the culture and tourism sector. By undertaking projects such as the Ancestors exhibit and the Year of the Coal Miner, in which Lethbridge was named the 2004 Cultural Capital of the Year.
Award in Collections Management
for Operation Homecoming
Alberta Museums Association, 2007.
May 2006
Galt Museum and Archives rebrands and opens to the public on May 6 following 3 days of pre-opening events.
Rebranded as the Galt Museum and Archives, the expanded museum reopened on 6 May 2006. This expansion included: the Discovery Hall, a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) exhibit centre with the permanent exhibit Exploring Southwestern Alberta and frequently changing temporary exhibits; a flexible events space; a larger museum store; and the 2,500-square-foot (230 m2)
Galt Education Centre.
1967 to 1984
The Galt Museum and
Archives becomes civic museum.
Connecting with people from previous generations - sharing their lives, dreams, disappointments and hopes - helps us understand ourselves, shapes and enriches our communities. The Sir Alexander Galt Museum was first opened in 1967 and expanded in 1984 to share these stories with the community and visitors
Galt Expansion Ribbon Cutting Ceremony | 6 May 2006
Pictured, front row, l to r: Ron Ulrich, CEO/Executive Director, Galt Museum; Bridget Pastoor, MLA, Lethbridge East; Tarlet, Mayor, City of Lethbridge, Hon. Joyce Fairbairn, Senator, Senate of Canada. Also present: Doug Mclaugin, Chair, Galt Museum
Dark As A Dungeon (2004) was the last exhibition to be hosted in the old Galt.
Kathy Greenwood
Senior VP - KCI Canada
Strategist -Galt Expansion Campaign
Jane Ferreby
Architect, Galt Expansion
