James Burns, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Ajijic, Jal., Mx

Arizona, United States

Phoenix, Arizona Area

Providing a spectrum of services to not-for-profits, museums, collectors, and artists, including leadership and management advising, planning of all types, organizing, collections management, research, writing, and curatorial services.

Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

 Develop and implement the organization’s strategic plan and annual work plan Rebuild public programming, exhibitions, and staffing back to pre-pandemic levels Build new relationships to expand the organization’s reach by developing collaborations and partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations to ensure sustainability  Oversee annual operating budget of $2.5 million and supervise staff of 24

Tempe, Yuma, Flagstaff, Tucson

Lead the state’s oldest cultural institution, including a portfolio of 12 sites across Arizona. Develop and lead a capital campaign to endow key positions, upgrade infrastructure, ensure that collections and archives are stewarded according to best practices, and update exhibitions. Manage all aspects of fundraising and maintain fiscal oversight. Oversee research, writing and administration of grants. Provide vision for exhibitions, collecting, events, and programs. Develop and implement strategic plan.Build relationships with multiple constituencies to better fulfill the mission and ensure long-term financial sustainability. Administer annual operating budget of $4.3 million. Manage a staff of 45 full and part-time, including development of goals and objectives. Form collaborations and partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations to further the organization’s mission. Implement organizational policies. Coordinate the meetings and work of the State Board of Directors, five chapter boards, and ten affiliated 501(c)3 organizations.

Tucson, Arizona Area

•Worked with senior management team to develop mission and vision statements and a positioning statement.•Worked with senior management team to create an exciting vision for exhibitions and public programming and to address the archival processing backlog.•Built more academic partnerships with departments on the UA campus.•Created more collaborations and build relationships with the Tucson museum community at large.•Maintained high professional and ethical standards for the museum in all areas.

Tucson, Arizona Area

•Led the organization through a transformative time in its history. Accomplishments include the creation of a collaborative learning center, rebranding of the institution as a teaching museum, development of a new series of student-curated exhibitions, activation of the galleries as a curatorial laboratory, establishment of innovative transdisciplinary partnerships and collaborations, creation of exciting new mission and vision statements, a new focus on student and faculty engagement, and the launch of an initiative focused on visitor-centered exhibitions and edu-curatorial practices.- Developed and enacted an innovative strategic plan aligned with the University-wide academic and strategic plan.•Established an exciting vision for exhibitions, public programming and new acquisitions.•Maintained high professional and ethical standards for the museum in all areas.•Built more academic partnerships with the School of Art, Center for Creative Photography, Arizona State Museum and other departments across campus.•Created more collaborations and built relationships with the Tucson museum community at large.•Formed an affinity group, The 1954 Circle, to support the mission and fundraising of the museum.•Dramatically improved staff productivity.•Developed and oversaw the museum's annual budget.

Administer a Western art and history museum with a budget of $1.475 million. Supervise a staff of 15; implement all museum policies. Maintain fiscal and strategic oversight of the institution. Fundraise. Coordinate exhibition development.

Administer all aspects of the oral history program for the City. Oversee research library accessed by 250+ researchers a year. Coordinate Family History Album project. Conduct research for a $3.5 million renovation of the Museum’s exhibitions and implement interpretive framework. Develop a collections plan. Supervise a team of volunteers working in the research library and with the oral history program. Maintain Tempe History database. Assist Museum Administrator with all aspects of programming.

Managed a division of an 80,000 sq. ft. art museum including four departments, curatorial, registration, exhibitions and library/archives.Spearheaded a museum construction project from concept stage through opening and several years beyond. Developed and implemented procedures and policies for access to and management of collections, archives and the library, risk management and emergency preparedness. Administered art collection of over 2,000 pieces. Managed object database, participated on multiple teams and negotiated contracts for services. Oversaw all aspects of exhibition development, installation, scheduling and maintenance from creation of museum for 7 years.

Managed all aspects of relocation of collections and archives. Created a plan for moving 3,600 objects from an historic home and 15,000 linear feet of photographs and documents. Developed off-site storage plan; identified staff and patron needs during the relocation process; supervised packers and movers and provided technical oversight and scheduling of staff responsible for assisting with the moves. Managed the administration, supervision and documentation of a 35,000-item three-dimensional object collection, including items in two historic homes, and a satellite museum. Managed object database, coordinated with multiple teams within the organization, processed acquisitions, negotiated contracts and related legal documentation. Trained and supervised 3 paid and 6 volunteer staff.

Assisted director with planning for a new branch museum facility. Generated support in the community for the museum; sought donations and conducted oral history program. Developed educational programming for under-served counties in south Louisiana. Led teacher workshops, created outreach programs and conducted environmental and historical research. Managed historical object collection; processed acquisitions; coordinated loans; developed policies and assessed risk.

Managed department of a history museum; created and implemented departmental policies and procedures; developed a volunteer program; trained and supervised a volunteer staff of 12. Relocated collection of 40,000 historical and fine art objects from 9 off-site locations to a new facility. Managed a library, including document and photographic items.Solicited donations, conducted research, assessed risk, tracked inventory, managed object database, maintained legal records. Managed two committees and oversaw exhibition development, installation, and maintenance.

Managed photographic collection of 250,000 images and a photo reproduction service; developed policies, procedures, forms and a fee structure for the photo archives; created database. Determined copyright restrictions; assessed risk, computerized and inventoried collection and raised funds for preservation. Developed volunteer program, trained and supervised staff of 10 volunteers and students.

Coordinated transportation of objects; tracked inventory and assisted with installation of exhibitions for a $3.8 million project. Negotiated contracts, conducted research, assessed risk and managed a collection of 800 historical objects.

Developed curation manual. Catalogued, photographed, and labeled objects.

Catalogued photographic and ethnographic collections.

Ph.D., Educational Policy Studies

Social Foundations of Education. Dissertation: "We Must Grow Our Own Artists: Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, Northern Arizona's Early Art.

Education record

Ma, Public History

Education record

Ba, History