By Chris Flook—
MUNCIE, IN—The Delaware County Historical Society is excited to announce the hiring of a new executive director, Karen Vincent. A one year grant to fund the position was generously provided by the Ball Brothers Foundation this spring.
Vincent is a respected leader in local history.
She spent 31 years as the director of collections at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens. A long-time supporter of the DCHS, Vincent served on the society’s board of directors for almost a decade, including two years as president and one year as co-president. She’s currently the Indiana Historical Society’s official county historian for our community and is a Beech Grove Cemetery trustee. An active historian in her own right, Vincent published the book Ball Stores in 2023. She also gives numerous historical presentations on behalf of the society throughout the year.
We don’t always need an executive director. The society’s board members serve on a ‘working board,’ with expectations for fundraising, service and research. However, several exciting anniversaries occur over the next few years in which the DCHS will play an active role, necessitating the need for paid staff.
Next year, the Delaware County Historical Society will celebrate its centennial anniversary, having first formed in 1925. Then in 2026, the United States observes a semiquincentennial commemoration. A year later in 2027, Delaware County will mark its bicentennial. The DCHS is planning programming around each.
These three anniversaries, though exciting, create a level of work beyond what our board of volunteers can reasonably manage. An executive director helps us successfully make the most of these opportunities, while maintaining our core mission.
The society exists to provide research-driven, historically accurate, inclusive, and compelling content about the history of people, places and events in Delaware County. These upcoming historical anniversaries provide us a unique opportunity to meet our mission. A new executive director helps us to do so successfully.
If you’re interested in joining the DCHS or learning more about what we do, please visit our website for more info: DelawareCountyHistory.org
