Voice of America Museum director asks West Chester trustees for capital support as he announces retirement

Jack Dominic, director of the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, updated the West Chester Township Board of Trustees on Feb. 24 about museum improvements and funding needs and asked for continued township support.

Dominic said the museum completed nearly a total interior redevelopment in the prior year, attendance is recovering after pandemic-related closures, and more than 60% of visitors are from outside the region. He described an upcoming STEM exhibit focused on radio technology and said a donor is assisting with that work.

Dominic said the museum is preparing a state capital-fund grant application for an exterior-improvement project described in the meeting as approximately a half-million dollars and asked trustees to emphasize the grant request when speaking with legislators. He noted operating costs and said last year’s utility bills totaled about $34,600, and that the museum appreciates township operating support and the leverage that local funding provides for attracting additional donors.

Dominic also announced that he will step down as director in October and asked for the trustees’ continued support during a planned leadership transition. In discussing funding he framed the township’s contribution as catalytic, saying it demonstrates local commitment and helps the museum attract other funding.

Trustees thanked Dominic for his leadership and for the museum’s preservation work; the board later approved a $50,000 annual contribution to the museum as part of the meeting’s requisitions. Staff and trustees asked for follow-up on the museum’s capital-application details and noted the VOA building is included in the security-RFP discussions for facility upgrades.

"It's extremely important," Dominic said of township support and the proposed capital improvements, adding that the museum aims to be “world class.”