Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Staffing And Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mound House museum manager to leave; staff reductions and budget cuts shrink regular programming
Summary
Museum manager Adam Knight submitted a resignation effective Oct. 1. Staff reported budget cuts that reduced the Mound House operating budget from about $77,000 to $34,000 and prompted cuts to regular programming and staffing, plus a push for volunteers and a Friends fundraising ask of $25,000.
Adam Knight, museum manager for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, told the Cultural and Environmental Learning Center advisory board on Sept. 25 that he had "turned in my resignation, effective October 1." Knight said he accepted a job in California and thanked board members and staff for support during his tenure.
Knight and town staff described several near-term staffing and program changes driven by the town’s FY2025 budget reductions. Knight said the Mound House operating budget had been cut from about $77,000 in the prior year to approximately $34,000 for the coming year; that allocation excludes staff salaries, benefits and property insurance. He said the museum retained funding from Lee County Tourism Development Council grants and support from the Friends of the Mound House, but the reduced operating budget required program scaling.
Specific operational changes Knight listed include reducing guided tours to one daily (Wednesday through Saturday at noon) and offering a single weekly kayak tour at 9 a.m. on Saturdays. He said planned field trips and group tours already booked would be honored but that regular scheduled programming and staffing levels would be scaled back. Knight introduced Emily Ton as the newly hired education coordinator (hired Sept. 8) who will lead education programs, beach walks and outreach.
Staff and board members emphasized an urgent need for volunteers to maintain field-trip and outreach capacity. Knight said volunteers are particularly needed for field-trip shepherding and outreach roles; he encouraged advisory board members and Friends volunteers to help.
Ellen Vaughn and other board members thanked Knight for his work. In the meeting, board members credited Knight with professionalizing programming and expanding outreach across Southwest Florida.
The Friends of the Mound House intend to request $25,000 from their membership and donors to help close the operating shortfall, Knight said. Friends leadership named Beverly Milken as incoming president and indicated the board is willing to consider augmenting the ask as needed. Knight said the Friends’ funding would be targeted primarily at education, collections care, office supplies and staff training.
Jeff Hauge, a town staff member, said the town has reassigned a visitor services aid to cover town hall starting in September and that the museum would rely on cross-trained staff (collections manager/registrar and the education coordinator) to cover essential duties while staff numbers are reduced.
What’s next: Knight said the museum manager position is posted and the town will interview candidates; staff and the advisory board will propose introductions at future meetings so the board can meet new hires.
