Highlights Archives
Old World Wisconsin Names New Director
The Wisconsin Historical Society welcomes Dawn St. George as the new director of Old World Wisconsin, Wisconsin's largest and most diverse historic site. St. George comes to Old World Wisconsin from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where she served as director of education since 2006. She previously served as director of conservation education for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee from 2000 to 2006. St. George holds a master's degree and a doctorate in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and worked in academic and administrative posts at the University of Iowa.
"We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Dawn St. George as director of Wisconsin's largest historic site," said Alicia Goehring, who administers the Society's 10 historic sites. "Dawn brings to the job strong leadership skills, an excellent track record in educational programming, and demonstrated experience in strategic planning."
As director of Old World Wisconsin, St. George will oversee day-to-day management of the site and its $2 million annual operating budget. The outdoor museum occupies 576 acres in the southern unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest in Waukesha County and comprises 69 historic structures.
St. George is excited about the cooperative process that defines the operations environment of Old World Wisconsin. "Collaboration is very important to me so I'm looking forward to being a part of so many important teams. On site there's the Old World Wisconsin staff and the Old World Wisconsin Foundation. In Madison, there's the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Historical Foundation. Along with many dedicated volunteers and donors, what we bring the community through this treasure we call Old World Wisconsin would not be possible without these partnerships. We are a community benefit and part of our work is to remind the people of Wisconsin we are here serving them and inviting them to come often," said St. George.
Growing up on a farm on the outskirts of Wauwatosa has given St. George a personal perspective of the Old World Wisconsin visitor experience. "Through my childhood, I'm intimately connected to the Wisconsin landscape and to the voices of the past. We have almost 600 acres at Old World Wisconsin to share with the community. It's safe, and it's a place where everyone comes to hear stories from the past and where kids can run and play while learning. Here we can teach and learn that the past is the cause of the present and the present the cause of the future. And we can provide learning experiences that support habitat restoration and land management to keep natural areas healthy and provide shelter for wildlife."
Old World Wisconsin interprets the day-to-day lives of 19th- and early 20th-century immigrants and pioneers who settled Wisconsin. The outdoor museum's interpretive focus is living history, in which interpreters clad in the fashion of the eras they represent tell visitors the stories of the actual farmers, housewives, storekeepers, tradesmen and others who lived and worked in the site's historic buildings. The site operates as a public outdoor museum from May through October, offering a variety of special events that provide fun and enteraining ways to celebrate our heritage while focusing more closely on particular historical themes, traditions and events in Wisconsin history that provide a deeper understanding of our past. The site also reopens for special holiday events in the postseason. During the off season, the site also offers a series of workshops on historic crafts, trades and skills no longer prominent in today's fast-paced world.
:: Posted September 12, 2007
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