2025 Conference reflections

Reflection by Liz Scott

Executive Director at Cannon Beach History Center & Museum

Attending my first Oregon Museums Association (OMA) Conference this past April was an incredible and transformative experience. I’ve been to other conferences in the past, but this one truly stood out as one of the most informative and inspiring I’ve ever attended. I learned far more than I anticipated, and I left feeling not only energized but also more confident in my role as a museum leader. One of the standout sessions for me was the “Fundraising with Soul” workshop. It provided a refreshing and authentic perspective on fundraising that resonated deeply with me—and best of all, the strategies I learned there have already helped me secure two successful grants for our museum!

Receiving a scholarship to attend made this experience possible, and I’m deeply grateful to OMA for the opportunity. As someone who wears many hats at a small museum, this chance to connect with others in similar roles was invaluable. One of my biggest takeaways was realizing how many of us are facing the same challenges—trying to do it all with limited resources, and still making a difference. Talking with peers, gaining new perspectives, and learning how other museums operate gave me a fresh sense of encouragement. It also reminded me that I’m doing better than I often realize. That validation and sense of shared experience meant so much.

I loved how the conference took over the town of Independence—it was so fun to explore a place I’d never been to, and it made me appreciate both the local history and the welcoming community. Thank you again to OMA for the scholarship and for putting together such a meaningful and inspiring conference. I’m so thankful for this experience and excited to carry everything I’ve learned into my work. I can’t wait to be back next year!

Reflection by Katie Snow 

Registration Technician at Klamath County Museum

The 2025 OMA Conference was an incredibly valuable experience for me. I was able to learn lots of new information, network with colleagues in the museum field, and bond over shared experiences unique to museum work. It was my first time taking part in this conference, so I was very eager to see
what I could learn.

I attended many panels that I found to be extremely helpful in my work. I went to “Disaster Preparedness, Recovery & Resilience – Protecting Irreplaceable Collections and Cultural Objects Before, During, and After Natural Disasters”. The increase of wildfires, and last winter’s snowstorm, has kept disaster preparedness on my mind. But, it felt so overwhelming to tackle disaster preparedness for such a large collection. The panelists talked about how to break up the strategy to make it less overwhelming, and what to prioritize in a disaster preparedness plan. Other attendees at the panel also shared their experiences with disasters in their museums, and this gave me valuable insight on how a disaster situation may play out and where to look for help. I am eager to share the knowledge and resources with my colleagues at the museum as we work together to bolster our resiliency.

I also went to a panel titled “The Ins and Outs: Care of Outdoor Sculpture”. The panel was led by conservators who explained at what point a conservator would need to be called in. This information was very helpful for our outdoor exhibit. Last winter during a bad snowstorm, the roof over part of the outdoor exhibit collapsed. As the museum staff meets to discuss how to care for it, we can know what damage can be addressed by the staff, and what damage will need to be addressed by a conservator.

In addition, I visited a panel on “Creating and Cleaning Up Collection Information”. This is another issue in museum work that can feel incredibly overwhelming. The majority of the work I’ve done so far in museums has been cleaning up data, and there is still much to be done. However, hearing
about how so many museums have faced similar issues, and how we are all doing our best to address it really helped. I could compare my experiences with other museums, and see what is most productive to prioritize. The work is still overwhelming, but I feel more empowered to continue it.

The most unexpected benefit of attending this conference, was to converse with so many other museum professionals. At the panels, lunches, and dinners, I got to meet intelligent people with diverse backgrounds and new ideas. Being able to compare experiences, share stories, and celebrate each other’s successes was so invigorating. I have many new ideas to share with my colleagues to benefit the museum, and I’m excited to keep working.

Reflection by Tessa Goodsell

Registration Technician at Klamath County Museum

This April, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Oregon Museums Association Conference in Independence, Oregon on a scholarship. I participated in many presentations and tours, including an Independence Ghost Walk and tour of the Independence Heritage Museum, discussions on Disaster Preparedness, Recovery & Resilience, Project Management, Managing an Unmanaged Collection, Caring for Historic Museum Buildings, and Practical Museum Photography on a Budget.

Each of these programs were extremely insightful and educational, but two stood out as my personal favorites. The presentation on project management given by Elizabeth Cychosz, Megan Lalleir-Barron, and Tara Cole, has already been very helpful to me as I lead my first big project at the Klamath County Museum. The tour of the Independence Heritage Museum, led by Amy Christensen, sparked many new ideas to redesign the exhibit space in our museum with limited resources and room.

As a first-time attendee, I especially enjoyed the camaraderie and personal connections I made at the conference. Meeting like-minded people that strive to preserve and teach history was extremely meaningful to me. Hearing the trials fellow museum professionals are facing made me feel a great sense of unity and support as I face similar situations. It helped me to understand that we are not alone in our struggles or our joys as work in our chosen field.