Hello everyone. My name is Scott Cessna and I am the new Executive Director at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona.

This is a job I take after serving since the end of May on the "crisis team" tasked with keeping the facility from an untimely death. Many challenges stil exist at the museum but I truly believe we have survived the worst of what was facing us.

I left a job as Treasurer/CFO of The Hite Company here in Altoona to accept what for me is a dream job. I, like many here in the area, have a family heritage tied to the railroad. My grandfather was Station Master here and a Block Operator at ALTO. I am a native of Altoona and there is nobody with any greater love for the mission of the museum than myself. There are some certainly as great but this is a dream come true for me.

Whether a railfan or history buff, there is one thing everyone needs to understand. This is a business and needs to be treated as such. This facility and its mission are too large to survive as some sort of club. Yes, the community needs to adopt the facility and we have plans to make that happen. It needs to be the hub of local and regional social activity but a business it is and as a business will it be operated.

Without deviating from the story we are chartered to tell, we will be reaching out to those people who are not aware what we have to offer. You need not have a love or knowledge of the railroad to enjoy this facility. In fact, you simply need to have an interest in people.

We plan to introduce all of you to a facility that continues to offer everything that was good about what we were - and those things are many - and we plan to offer you things never before presented here. I hope you all take the time to come and visit. It will not happen overnight but it will happen. I do not plan to fail at this task - it is simply to important. I encourage all the contructive criticism you care to offer. I only ask that if you point out a perceived problem, you take the additional time to offer some sort of solution. Take care and come see me when you are in Altoona.

Scott Cessna
Executive Director
Railroaders Memorial Museum


director@railroadcity.com

Welcome aboard, Scott; I'm sure you will do a good job. Just so that you will learn from the experience of others, let me leave you with some words of advice as a new museum director: my only worry with a financial/business professional with no previous experience in running a museum is that they tend to lack the expertise on the particulars and needs of running a history museum and are too tied up with the needs of the bottom line to the sacrifice of the entire program. That means cutting programs and selling off collections at the instant that they are losing money--bad move! As has been said on this board many times before, a museum is not a business but in many ways needs to be run like a business--within reason and subject to ethical concerns, of course. My advice would be to attend the Museum Management Institute at the University of Colorado so that you can get up to speed with museum management 101, since you already have business acumen. This program is designed for museum professionals who do not have formal graduate level museum studies program training or end up coming into the museum field mid-stream from other non-public history careers.
Perhaps you already have this experience, and if so, disregard. I'm only offering you this advice because we all want to see you and ARRM succeed. Godspeed, Scott!

> Hello everyone. My name is Scott Cessna and
> I am the new Executive Director at the
> Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona.

> This is a job I take after serving since the
> end of May on the "crisis team"
> tasked with keeping the facility from an
> untimely death. Many challenges stil exist
> at the museum but I truly believe we have
> survived the worst of what was facing us.

> I left a job as Treasurer/CFO of The Hite
> Company here in Altoona to accept what for
> me is a dream job. I, like many here in the
> area, have a family heritage tied to the
> railroad. My grandfather was Station Master
> here and a Block Operator at ALTO. I am a
> native of Altoona and there is nobody with
> any greater love for the mission of the
> museum than myself. There are some certainly
> as great but this is a dream come true for
> me.

> Whether a railfan or history buff, there is
> one thing everyone needs to understand. This
> is a business and needs to be treated as
> such. This facility and its mission are too
> large to survive as some sort of club. Yes,
> the community needs to adopt the facility
> and we have plans to make that happen. It
> needs to be the hub of local and regional
> social activity but a business it is and as
> a business will it be operated.

> Without deviating from the story we are
> chartered to tell, we will be reaching out
> to those people who are not aware what we
> have to offer. You need not have a love or
> knowledge of the railroad to enjoy this
> facility. In fact, you simply need to have
> an interest in people.

> We plan to introduce all of you to a
> facility that continues to offer everything
> that was good about what we were - and those
> things are many - and we plan to offer you
> things never before presented here. I hope
> you all take the time to come and visit. It
> will not happen overnight but it will
> happen. I do not plan to fail at this task -
> it is simply to important. I encourage all
> the contructive criticism you care to offer.
> I only ask that if you point out a perceived
> problem, you take the additional time to
> offer some sort of solution. Take care and
> come see me when you are in Altoona.

> Scott Cessna
> Executive Director
> Railroaders Memorial Museum

Jason

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Let me assure everyone that I plan to surround myself with people who possess the skill sets to compliment mine. It is programming and the quality of the collection that will draw people to utilize our facility.

I do think however that the RMM has to expand beyond the concept of thinking of itself as being strictly a "museum" - a word that has a thousand different meanings to a thousand different people. What those who want to see the RMM survive need to realize is that we are as much a heritage tourism site as we are a museum - maybe more so. So while I plan to expand on the solid groundwork our existing curatorial function rests on, it needs to be said out loud that it is the visiting public that makes the organization successful. Building a quality visitor experience is a waste of effort if there are no visitors to enjoy it.

Thanks

> Welcome aboard, Scott; I'm sure you will do
> a good job. Just so that you will learn from
> the experience of others, let me leave you
> with some words of advice as a new museum
> director: my only worry with a
> financial/business professional with no
> previous experience in running a museum is
> that they tend to lack the expertise on the
> particulars and needs of running a history
> museum and are too tied up with the needs of
> the bottom line to the sacrifice of the
> entire program. That means cutting programs
> and selling off collections at the instant
> that they are losing money--bad move! As has
> been said on this board many times before, a
> museum is not a business but in many ways
> needs to be run like a business--within
> reason and subject to ethical concerns, of
> course. My advice would be to attend the
> Museum Management Institute at the
> University of Colorado so that you can get
> up to speed with museum management 101,
> since you already have business acumen. This
> program is designed for museum professionals
> who do not have formal graduate level museum
> studies program training or end up coming
> into the museum field mid-stream from other
> non-public history careers.
> Perhaps you already have this experience,
> and if so, disregard. I'm only offering you
> this advice because we all want to see you
> and ARRM succeed. Godspeed, Scott!


director@railroadcity.com

Scott, you have the right vision! I wish you the best of success as you embark on your journey down the PRR main:)May you have green all the way.

Jason

> Jason

> Thanks for the words of encouragement. Let
> me assure everyone that I plan to surround
> myself with people who possess the skill
> sets to compliment mine. It is programming
> and the quality of the collection that will
> draw people to utilize our facility.

> I do think however that the RMM has to
> expand beyond the concept of thinking of
> itself as being strictly a
> "museum" - a word that has a
> thousand different meanings to a thousand
> different people. What those who want to see
> the RMM survive need to realize is that we
> are as much a heritage tourism site as we
> are a museum - maybe more so. So while I
> plan to expand on the solid groundwork our
> existing curatorial function rests on, it
> needs to be said out loud that it is the
> visiting public that makes the organization
> successful. Building a quality visitor
> experience is a waste of effort if there are
> no visitors to enjoy it.

> Thanks

> my only worry with a
> financial/business professional with no
> previous experience in running a museum is
> that they tend to lack the expertise on the
> particulars and needs of running a history
> museum and are too tied up with the needs of
> the bottom line to the sacrifice of the
> entire program. That means cutting programs
> and selling off collections at the instant
> that they are losing money--bad move!

Jason, if da**ing with faint praise was an art, that qualifier now makes you an artist.

Having personally ripped into comments by other Altoona folks on this board in the past, to me it is a gratifying and hopeful sign that the new board is reaching to the for profit sector-since financial issues there were THE problem.

Although this is a generalization, IMHO a great many of those who have the "expertise on the
particulars and needs of running a history
museum" spend way too much time debating irresovable "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin" issues and IGNORE the the bottom line.

I'm not sure where the assertion about cutting collections and services comes from since we are generally have more complaints here about the "junkyards" and if that is true, it means many institutions won't let something go until you pry it out of their cold bankrupt fingers. I don't see any epidemic of unwarranted, unwise sales of collections. On the contrary, isues of financial solvency are often the "elephant in the living room" of RR museums.

Quite frankly, having spent time on both sides of the fence, I'd rather explain curatorial stuff to a finance guy than the other way around. I once had a "professional" tell me that "we don't need to worry about depreciation-that's a tax dodge and we don't pay taxes".

That having been said, here's some practical advice,

Get copies of the following (if you haven't already) :

Financial Accounting Standards Board
Statement No. 116
Accounting for Contributions Received and Contributions Made
(Issue Date 6/93)

Financial Accounting Standards Board
Statement No. 117
Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Organizations
(Issue Date 6/93)

Financial Accounting Standards Board
Statement No. 124
Accounting for Certain Investments Held by Not-for-Profit Organizations
(Issue Date 11/95)

As a finance guy, you'll be somewhat amazed by the difference between "regular" GAAP and non-profit reporting standards.

Also IRS publication 557 is a great resource and is available for download in pdf format from the link below:

Finally-Beware of "but we've always done it this way"

I'd say "good luck" but luck is for amateurs and gamblers. May you have a successful and solvent future.

IRS PUB 557 IN ADOBE PDF FORMAT
superheater@beer.com

Did I forget to mention I was the accountant for a statewide non-profit for 3 years? I appreciate the reading list but I am very familiar with non-profit accounting.

Thanks

> Jason, if da**ing with faint praise was an
> art, that qualifier now makes you an artist.

> Having personally ripped into comments by
> other Altoona folks on this board in the
> past, to me it is a gratifying and hopeful
> sign that the new board is reaching to the
> for profit sector-since financial issues
> there were THE problem.

> Although this is a generalization, IMHO a
> great many of those who have the
> "expertise on the
> particulars and needs of running a history
> museum" spend way too much time
> debating irresovable "how many angels
> can dance on the head of a pin" issues
> and IGNORE the the bottom line.

> I'm not sure where the assertion about
> cutting collections and services comes from
> since we are generally have more complaints
> here about the "junkyards" and if
> that is true, it means many institutions
> won't let something go until you pry it out
> of their cold bankrupt fingers. I don't see
> any epidemic of unwarranted, unwise sales of
> collections. On the contrary, isues of
> financial solvency are often the
> "elephant in the living room" of
> RR museums.

> Quite frankly, having spent time on both
> sides of the fence, I'd rather explain
> curatorial stuff to a finance guy than the
> other way around. I once had a
> "professional" tell me that
> "we don't need to worry about
> depreciation-that's a tax dodge and we don't
> pay taxes".

> That having been said, here's some practical
> advice,

> Get copies of the following (if you haven't
> already) :

> Financial Accounting Standards Board
> Statement No. 116
> Accounting for Contributions Received and
> Contributions Made
> (Issue Date 6/93)

> Financial Accounting Standards Board
> Statement No. 117
> Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit
> Organizations
> (Issue Date 6/93)

> Financial Accounting Standards Board
> Statement No. 124
> Accounting for Certain Investments Held by
> Not-for-Profit Organizations
> (Issue Date 11/95)

> As a finance guy, you'll be somewhat amazed
> by the difference between
> "regular" GAAP and non-profit
> reporting standards.

> Also IRS publication 557 is a great resource
> and is available for download in pdf format
> from the link below:

> Finally-Beware of "but we've always
> done it this way"

> I'd say "good luck" but luck is
> for amateurs and gamblers. May you have a
> successful and solvent future.


director@railroadcity.com

> Did I forget to mention I was the accountant
> for a statewide non-profit for 3 years? I
> appreciate the reading list but I am very
> familiar with non-profit accounting.

I don't think you did or if you did I missed it.

superheater@beer.com

Sorry about that and - you really should consider posts with your name. The anonimity doesn't do a lot for credibility and for the record, while I agree with your message here on this subject, I will not make it a habit of responding when I do not know who I am responding to.

> I don't think you did or if you did I missed
> it.


director@railroadcity.com

I will not make it a habit
> of responding when I do not know who I am
> responding to.

I'll vouch for Superheater. He's the real thing and his posts are often insightful and provoking. Note: Don't let the beer.com email address fool you. It works.


wyld@sbcglobal.com

> Sorry about that and - you really should
> consider posts with your name.

Scott, this issue comes up periodically here:

I prefer to post pseudononymously (as do several posters) for a variety of reasons-mostly due to the fact that several others bear my name, so i protect the innocent from such things as spam or phone calls.

My decision is of greater value now due to the fact of upcoming employment within government.

The issue anonymous/pseudononymous posts comes up here periodically.

In those threads, I pointed out the value in giving a "real name" is minimal since anybody could put up a "real sounding" name to hide their identity and nobody would question it. Furthermore, if you know somebody's name, what good is it? its not like you can run a background check to ascertain competence, character, credit, etc.

Given that, I think using an obvious pen name is more honest to other readers. If that makes me a WUSS, so be it.

I provide a return address for off-line comments, in accord with the current standards as I understand them, and have corresponded with Rob Davis and GE13031 among others off line. Some people I know have guessed my identity and I have generally confirmed it.

As a general rule, as in my response to Jason, I never request a response, however if i did and you choose not to respond I'll respect that choice.

Anyway, best wishes.



superheater@beer.com

> I'll vouch for Superheater. He's the real
> thing and his posts are often insightful and
> provoking. Note: Don't let the beer.com
> email address fool you. It works.

Beer.com was the only webmail that I could find, where "superheater" was available and although beer and trains don't mix, - sticking with the alcohol theme:

"Thanks for your support"

-Bartles and James circa 1988



superheater@beer.com

Scott,

Welcome and best wishes. I have "been there and done that" in almost the same situation, but with a small, very non-profit, art college. I accepted the position as President after serving as a loaned accountant to the College by employer. I too, had goals and plans and then I met the faculty and staff. They were artists and pratictioners and had no clue about the business side of the operation. There was a long learning curve for all of us as I tried to apply business practices to an art school without any background in higher education or the arts. My only experiences were with various board postions at National Capital Trolley Museum, and that model certainly did not transfer well to an art school.

I encourage you to network with your colleagues in the museum business. Develop a support system. Scott Becker is not far away at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum near Pittsburgh. He has been very successful at bringing that museum along with the leadership and support of his board. And he is well-connected in ARM and AAM. Also, be careful to develop your board. Get them focused. I was unable to do this at my school for a variety of reasons and it caused me some problems with oversight and governance.

I am no longer president at the school, and have returned to my roots in finance and accounting. The seven years as president were challenging and rewarding. It was a great experience.

Good luck to you in Altoona!

Wesley

National Capital Trolley Museum

Per the Interchange Terms of Service I have removed an ad hominem remarked which appeared in this thread, and by extension also removed several responses to it. To reiterate:

"Constructive, polite criticism, and polite responses to same, are acceptable.

No flaming. There will be zero tolerance for this, one strike and you're out."



eledbetter@rypn.org