New director takes reins at museum

WORLAND - The Board of Directors of the Washakie Museum & Cultural Center recently named Marian Bender as the Museum's new executive director.

Bender, who assumed leadership of the Museum on Aug. 9, brings two decades of non-profit management experience to her new position. Her expertise includes financial management, fundraising, strategic planning, event management, coaching, training and building community partnerships.

"The best part of working with non-profits is managing teams. In a non-profit, the team members are working there primarily because they're doing what they love," Bender says. She has held leadership roles in regional as well as national organizations and has worked in Minnesota, Florida, and California.

Bender grew up in a family of farmers and teachers in central Minnesota. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. "I chose to major in history because history is stories, which I love. Stories tell so much more about a place than just facts."

The first time Bender drove through Wyoming, she was awestruck by the scenery and charmed by the small towns. She knew that she wanted to move here. While tasting whiskey at Wyoming Whiskey, she found out that Wyoming Whiskey was hiring a sales associate. She decided to apply and started working there last October. She also worked part-time as curator and grant administrator at the Hot Springs County Museum in Thermopolis, where she learned a great deal about local history and running small community museums.

Bender has recently purchased a home in Worland and plans to move near the end of September. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, attending community events, and gardening. She is the mother of a son, Jason, who is a junior at UCLA pursuing a degree in data theory.

Bender looks forward to hearing from the people of the Big Horn Basin about what they want from the Washakie Museum. "This institution is such a great gift to this community. I'm not coming in here with preconceived notions of how things should be. I'll be reaching out to members and residents to get their input."

A great time to meet Bender will be from 9 a.m. until noon on Museum Day, Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Washakie Museum. Admission to the Museum is free all day (with a downloadable ticket from the Smithsonian at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday or downloadable at the Museum). The Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day.