Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization

“At an annual meeting, members approve through motion, a slate of new board members.”

“Presented to the ohc board of trustees by auditors”

“SIGNED ANNUALLY”

“The executive director is evaluated by each board of trustees member on an annual basis using an anonymous survey based on the job description of the director. This job description was updated in 2012 by vote of the board in public session and is recorded in the board minutes. After reviewing the survey results, the executive committee of the board recommends compensation adjustments within the approved annual budget for the organization. This recommended adjustment is approved by the full board in public session and is captured in the board minutes.”

“Provide a copy upon request within 3 working days and may charge $0.10 per page.”

“Collaboratively charting a course for ohc 2018 was an exciting year for the oberlin heritage center as the museum crafted a new five-year strategic plan. Close to 100 individuals participated in the public planning process, distilling ohc's defining strengths and identifying where the museum needs to aim in order to stay relevant to current and future generations. A variety of community members, volunteers, trustees, area teachers, city administrators, organization heads, and history lovers generously gave their time and insight at three public "steer the ship" meetings, held at kendal at oberlin, house of zion fellowship hall, and the oberlin public library. These meetings were moderated by independent consultant leslie yerkes of cleveland in a lively process called appreciative inquiry. Ohc also conducted extensive self-studies and held many in-house conversations about impact and sustainability. The process highlighted ohc's strengths, such as engaged supporters, quality programs, professional services, and positive collaborations, as well as called attention to areas that ohc needs to focus on improving if it will continue to be relevant to the community. Some of those key areas for improvement included: interpretation & preservation: strengthen the use of local stories, everyday peoples' histories, and 20th century histories to increase relevancy and personal connections to local history. Identify and collect objects, documents, and stories that reflect both shared and distinct histories in the community. Engagement: meet community interests with engaging programs, relevant histories, and financially accessible offerings. Research and update communication strategies to ensure information is reaching audiences. Improve accessibility to ohc's physical and digital resources. Collaborate: collaborate with local partners to develop mutually-beneficial and mission-related programs or projects. Provide resources and guidance that community members and organizations can use to engage in their own history-related activities. Efficiency & sustainability: develop improved methods for tracking the effectiveness and impact of programs. Build staff, board, and volunteer capacity for fundraising to support the programs of ohc and ensure the historic buildings and collections are properly and proactively maintained. Investigate opportunities for operating more environmentally friendly. Ensure that ohc's staff, board, and volunteers reflect the diversity of the community. Ohc's progress toward these goals has been steady, yet more remains to be done. Thank you for steering ohc onto this path and being part of the crew! The oberlin heritage center's 2018 2023 strategic plan can be found on-line at www.oberlinheritagecenter.org annual meeting spotlights edmonia lewis, endowment progress & esteemed awardees an audience of 140 guests enjoyed a performance by sherrie tolliver, an actress with the lakewood nonprofit women in history, who portrayed acclaimed artist edmonia lewis at the heritage center's annual meeting held april 4 at the hotel at oberlin. Lewis, a woman of african american and native american descent, was a mid-19th century oberlin college student who overcame an unsettling college experience to eventually rise to international prominence as a neoclassical sculptor. A special thank you was given to northwest bank for sponsoring the evening's featured program. Highlighting the business portion of the evening were remarks by board president gail wood reporting progress on the heritage center's campaign to build the pat murphy endowment for heritage preservation, a fund named in honor of the former executive director who helped lead the organization for 22 years prior to her retirement in 2015. The fund had grown to $444,000 from 253 donors, within reach of the $500,000 midpoint goal that the organization hoped to achieve by the end of 2018. Income generated from this endowment helps support the maintenance and preservation of the”

“Working from these insights and the goals outlined in this plan, we envision that in five years the oberlin heritage center will be an organization through which all community members can discover history resources relevant to their personal experiences. Ohc will strive to have the financial, physical, and human resources necessary to achieve its mission and address future challenges. Ohc will be regarded as a valued partner that supports community history projects and whose programs foster meaningful relationships and deeper connections within the community and region. Executive summary this plan is framed around seven key areas of operation and engagement. In brief, the plan: continues to direct programming towards interpretation that ensures wide and diverse engagement. Ensures organizational sustainability and the preservation of the valued historic buildings and collections of ohc through the growth of an endowment fund and the continued cultivation of supporters. Calls for ohc to address challenges and opportunities related to its facilities and strengthen management of its subsidiary properties (ohcp and vineway). Calls for a board actively engaged in fundraising, organizational advocacy, and strategic improvement. Reaffirms ohc's commitment to an active and well-compensated staff, builds a workforce that embodies the diversity of the community, and directs action toward becoming more environmentally friendly, maintaining professional certifications, and being prepared for digital threats and opportunities. Calls for short-term and long-term improvements in the acquisition, management, storage, and display of collections and history resources, with goals specific to conservation projects, collecting more recent history, improving ohc's digital holdings and access, and administering the oberlin oral history and westwood cemetery projects. Details various strategies to enhance ohc's physical, virtual, collaborative, and professional presence in order to strengthen engagement within the community and promote ohc and oberlin as destinations. Summary of the history of the oberlin heritage center the oberlin heritage center originated in 1903 as a part of the progressive-era "improvement" movement when a group of citizens founded the oberlin improvement society (later known as the oberlin village improvement society), which advocated for improved public hygiene and social and municipal services, and helped to create oberlin's park system. In 1958, a separate oberlin historical society organized and began acquiring historic buildings and artifacts. In 1964, the oberlin historical society and the oberlin village improvement society merged to become the oberlin historical and improvement organization (o.h.i.o.). In the early 1990s, o.h.i.o. Began its transformation from a small, all-volunteer group to a professional museum and historical organization, hiring an executive director in 1993 and a museum education and tour coordinator in 2007. In the mid 1990s, ohc began systematically collecting historically significant artifacts and archives, and began an active program of tours and presentations about oberlin's history. In 1998, the organization named its complex of historic buildings "the oberlin heritage center." today the oberlin heritage center is open to the public for tours year-round. The ohc complex includes: the monroe house (moved in 1960), the little red schoolhouse (moved next to the monroe house in 1968 and moved to its present site in 1997), and the jewett house and its barn (in their original locations, added to the site in 1966). The organization offers public and school programs and special events throughout the year and issues periodic publications on historical topics. Major projects include the city-wide historic site inventory, the westwood cemetery inventory, and the oberlin oral history project. Ohc recognizes that there are many histories in the oberlin community and is active in preserving and interpretin”

“3) archives, research & publications: the organization's resource center includes holdings on oberlin history, family history, historic preservation and nonprofit organization and museum management. Staff members are available by appointment to assist those interested in researching local and family history, with a particular focus on descendants of families that settled in the oberlin area. Major research projects underway include the westwood cemetery inventory, the oberlin oral history project, and the underground railroad research. The organization publishes books and booklets on historical topics from time to time, on-line resources, as well as its program and news calendar and the oberlin heritage center gazette/annual report. 4) educational programs and tours: the organization offers public and school programs, special events, and guided tours throughout the year. Ohc program summary for 2018 january 23: local historian sid comings presented an engaging program at kendal at oberlin's heiser auditorium on the a side and b side of arthur dann (1913-1979), a professor of classical piano for over 40 years at the oberlin conservatory of music, who also performed in a popular jazz trio known as "king arthur and his men." february 11: museum education & tour coordinator amanda manahan discussed the accomplishments, struggles and legacies of oberlin african-american business owners at a free community program held in the house of zion fellowship center. Attendees, including beulah mae williams and shelle shephard, had the opportunity to share recollections of their own businesses and help the heritage center preserve more of the history of african-american businesses in oberlin. March 15: a capacity crowd filled heiser auditorium at kendal at oberlin to view trail magic: the grandma gatewood story, an emmy-nominated documentary about the first woman to solo thru-hike the 2,050-mile appalachian trail in 1955 (at the age of 67). Film producer bette lou higgins of eden valley enterprises and film writer kelly boyer sagert took questions afterward. This women's history month program was co-hosted by the kendal third thursday program committee and sponsored by the 1830 hallauer house bed & breakfast in oberlin. March 27-29 and april 3-5: what a wonderful world spring break mini-camps led boys and girls ages 8-13 on an exciting and breathtaking exploration of the many wonders of earth, including the seven wonders of the ancient world, the "new" seven, and some of nature's own marvels. April 4: the 2018 annual meeting and community award presentations at the hotel at oberlin introduced guests to renowned 19th century sculptor edmonia lewis, portrayed by actress sherrie tolliver of the cleveland-based nonprofit women in history. This special program was made possible by the generous support of northwest bank. April 20: our springtime excursion, tombs and blooms: lake view cemetery field trip, included a memorable opportunity to learn more about the james a. Garfield monument, wade chapel, and many of the historic people buried in this beautiful setting. The trip was co-hosted with the friends of westwood cemetery. May 26 & 27: during oberlin college's commencement/reunion weekend, the heritage center debuted a new oberlin architecture history walk, created by ohc winter term student (and oberlin high school alum) steven mentzer (oc '20). Visitors from near and far enjoyed many different ways to explore the community's history by taking part in the heritage center's full schedule of tours and history walks. June, july & august: during summer months, the heritage center made available its schoolyard games free to all ages, including classic lawn games like ring toss, jump rope and the hoop & stick or hand games like the gee-haw whimmy diddle. Other outdoor activities included popular history walks like the freedom's friends: underground railroad & abolitionist history walk (offered weekly), the radicals & reformers history walk. (offered”

“October 23: gearing up, then winding down: a history of oberlin industry offered the heritage center's museum education and tour coordinator amanda manahan an opportunity to share research on oberlin's varied blend of industries dating back to its founding in the early 19th century. The free public program presented at kendal at oberlin's heiser auditorium took a look at the ins and outs of early american industries and our own community's production of goods and services over the past two centuries. A sequel to the program is planned for 2019. November 2: the second annual trivia night filled the fellowship hall at the first church in oberlin, united church of christ for a lively and entertaining evening with food, friends and fun. Local radio personality "super dave andrews, morning show host on wobl (1320 am / 107.7 fm) returned to emcee the festivities, which included multiple rounds of trivia plus add-on side games and raffles. Proceeds supported the heritage center's ongoing community programs and services. Special thanks to the evening's co-sponsors herrick jewelry and harmon's automotive service, and to supporting partner northwest savings bank, all of oberlin. Prizes were donated by a david anthony salon (lorain) and oberlin businesses/organizations adeva salon & spa, advance auto parts, allen memorial art museum, bead paradise ii, ben franklin/mindfair books, the hotel at oberlin, oberlin business partnership, oberlin college & conservatory, puffer's floral shoppe, and the rosen-jones photography studio. November 11: the heritage center participated in the national bells of peace observance with a gathering at the little red schoolhouse that included brief remarks and a bell-ringing ceremony to remember oberlinians who served in world war i. The event commemorated the 100th anniversary of the historic ending of the great war. December: the heritage center celebrated the season with a special month-long time & treasures on tour. A new one-hour tour featured the clocks and watches in the museum's collection, while a mini-display in the monroe house spotlighted historic artifacts and photographs that were donated to the heritage center during the past two years. For more information please contact executive director elizabeth schultz at 440-774-1700 or by e-mail at [email protected] or by mail to oberlin heritage center, p.o. Box 0455, oberlin, oh 44074. Much information, including the audited financial statement, is also available on the website at www.oberlinheritagecenter.org.”

“No processes changed in the current year.”