Swampscott resident tapped as executive director of New England Museum Association

SWAMPSCOTT – Following an extensive nationwide search, the New England Museum Association hired a Swampscott resident as its new executive director.Dan Yaeger, who is a former school committee member in town, has worked with museums for two decades in one capacity or another. Yaeger, who started work at the museum association last week, said things are going well.”I am excited and honored to work with NEMA at this stage of its history and am looking forward to meeting new colleagues in the museum community” he said. “Museums play such a critical role in the well-being of society and the education of its children, but that role is not always fully appreciated. One of our jobs at NEMA is to remind government and individuals that museums have a tremendous impact on the quality of life and economy in each of our communities. Museums are worth supporting.”Yaeger’s duties at NEMA include expanding advocacy for the association’s 1,500 members and for museums in general. NEMA President Gail Nessell Colglazier said Yaeger would also concentrate on expanding and enhancing the programs and other educational services that NEMA offers throughout the six-state region.”Dan comes to NEMA with a track record of leadership in the museum community and beyond,” Colglazier said. “We are particularly impressed with his ability to articulate new ideas that will take our organization to the next level of success and with his experience in advocacy and public relations.”Most recently, Yaeger served as the director of the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation in Waltham. During his tenure, the museum expanded its exhibit space, reorganized its governance structure and introduced new programming. Yaeger has served as a marketing and communications consultant to numerous institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts, Peabody Essex Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, Portland Museum of Art, Currier Museum of Art, Old Sturbridge Village, John F. Kennedy Library and Plimoth Plantation. His professional background also includes development and marketing work with Yankee magazine and Down East Publishing.He was formerly executive director of the Massachusetts Tourism Coalition and served as director of administration for the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism. Yaeger holds a B.A. from Gettysburg College and an M.A from Harvard University.