Conner Prairie Leadership

An entrepreneurial leader, museum and non-profit management executive with a 33 year history of successfully developing innovative approaches and compelling visions for operating history and general museums. A highly effective communicator, educator, and fundraiser who has developed visionary strategic, business, and marketing plans (re-branding) allowing organizations to experience stages of developmental growth in operational income, physical plant (capital projects), and programming (interpretive master planning and exhibits).

As the Executive Director and CEO of six different historic sites and general museums in Tennessee, Virginia, and Indiana, Burns has developed nationally recognized-award winning interpretive and educational programs, conferences, lecture and film series, documentary films, concert series, publications, and exhibitions.

As an educator and historian Burns has been responsible for developing interdisciplinary curriculum based programming for students, engaging public programs and interactive exhibitions, developing living history interpretation, museum theater and providing the historical research needed for preservation and interpretation of historic properties and collections (curatorial and archival administration duties).

As a fundraiser Burns has directed successful campaigns for annual giving and membership, capital improvements, and has proven experience fund raising through the private and public sectors (local, state and national governments).

Burns guided Maymont through aggressive strategic planning and rebranding (Maymont: An American Estate) and completed site and interpretive master plans that launched a $35 million transformational Spirit of Generosity (SOG) Capital Campaign to improve and sustain Maymont ($21 million secured during strategic phase).

An entrepreneurial leader, museum and non-profit management executive with a 33 year history of successfully developing innovative approaches and compelling visions for operating history and general museums. A highly effective communicator, educator, and fundraiser who has developed visionary strategic, business, and marketing plans (re-branding) allowing organizations to experience stages of developmental growth in operational income, physical plant (capital projects), and programming (interpretive master planning and exhibits).

As the Executive Director and CEO of six different historic sites and general museums in Tennessee, Virginia, and Indiana, Burns has developed nationally recognized-award winning interpretive and educational programs, conferences, lecture and film series, documentary films, concert series, publications, and exhibitions.

As an educator and historian Burns has been responsible for developing interdisciplinary curriculum based programming for students, engaging public programs and interactive exhibitions, developing living history interpretation, museum theater and providing the historical research needed for preservation and interpretation of historic properties and collections (curatorial and archival administration duties).

As a fundraiser Burns has directed successful campaigns for annual giving and membership, capital improvements, and has proven experience fund raising through the private and public sectors (local, state and national governments).

Burns guided Maymont through aggressive strategic planning and rebranding (Maymont: An American Estate) and completed site and interpretive master plans that launched a $35 million transformational Spirit of Generosity (SOG) Capital Campaign to improve and sustain Maymont ($21 million secured during strategic phase).