Day: September 30, 2013

J. Barclay Collins II was announced the new chairman of the Mystic Seaport board of trustees on September 27. He was elected by the Museum’s membership at their annual fall meeting.

A longtime executive in the energy industry, Collins recently retired as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Hess Corporation. Prior to joining Hess, he was Vice President and General Counsel of City Investing Company and an attorney with Cravath, Swaine and Moore, the New York law firm. Collins is a passionate advocate for health care, education, and the arts. He serves as the chairman of the board of the United Hospital Fund of New York and is on the board of the New York Botanical Garden among other philanthropies. An avid sailor, he is a member of the New York Yacht Club and the Shelter Island Yacht Club.

Collins earned an A.B. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He joined the board at Mystic Seaport in 2008.

“We are very excited to have Barclay assume leadership of the board,” Museum President Steve White said. “He brings a level of professional expertise, institutional knowledge, and a passion for our mission that will help us succeed at developing new and exciting ways for the public to explore our collections and understand the importance of our shared maritime heritage.”

Collins succeeds Richard Vietor who served as chairman from 2007. White added his praise for the accomplishments of Vietor, saying, “The Museum is truly grateful for Richard’s leadership during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the institution. He guided us deftly through a difficult economic environment to not only put Mystic Seaport on sound financial footing, but also to enable us to embark on some of the transformational initiatives critical to the future of Mystic Seaport, including the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan and the construction of a new state-of-the-art exhibition building to transform the north end of our grounds.”

During Vietor’s tenure, the Museum restructured its finances and operations to become a debt-free institution. Vietor oversaw the restoration and launch of the whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the development of a new strategic plan for the institution and its collections, the initial work for the new exhibition hall, and the creation and success of seven America and the Sea Award Galas.

The Museum also welcomed to the board four new trustees in 2013:

Grant Cambridge, of Pasadena, CA, is a Senior Vice President and a Portfolio Manager of Capital Group in Los Angeles. In addition to an M.B.A. from Harvard, Cambridge has an M.A. from Suffolk University and a B.A. from Bentley University.

Sheila McCurdy, of Middletown, RI, has an extensive background in sailing and is well-known in the U.S. racing and cruising communities. She is a graduate of Smith College and holds a M.M.A from the University of Rhode Island.

Cayre Michas, of New York, NY, and Stonington, CT, has long been involved with non-profit and educational institutions and is a Trustee and Secretary for Learning Leaders, Inc. She received her A.B. from Brown University.

Waring Partridge of New Haven, CT, is a former senior executive in the telecommunications industry. He is presently the president of the Partridge Family Office. He received his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from Catholic University (U.S.).

Emily Schimelman of Middletown, CT has been named the 2013 recipient of the Mystic Seaport Orion Award for Excellence in Experiential Education. She was honored at a reception at the Museum’s Maritime Gallery on September 27.

The Award is bestowed annually by Mystic Seaport on educators who create meaningful and innovative learning experiences for their students by utilizing the Museum’s collections, programs, and learning resources. The Orion Award recognizes teachers who infuse history, math, science, and literature with a maritime focus and are an inspiration to their students and their colleagues.

Schimelman is a fourth grade teacher at Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, CT. She teaches reading, language arts, and specializes in social studies. With the help of Mystic Seaport staff, she created a year-long unit on American whaling, life at sea, and the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. The hands-on, project-based unit focuses on artifacts, primary sources, artwork, music, acting, journal writing, and critical thinking to inspire lifelong learning through exploration.

Schimelman also masterminded the creation of a Mystic Festival at Hamden Hall, where students created 12 booths representing primary aspects of the whaling unit. Students collaborated in small groups where they researched their topic and created the content and activities for their station. Participants were given 15 minutes at each booth before they rotated to the next.

As the point person for a new partnership between Mystic Seaport and Hamden Hall, Schimelman has fostered a constructive relationship of program development and evaluation for both institutions. She is also contributing to the creation of Mystic Seaport for Educators, an online learning community that will use historic artifacts in the Museum’s collections to build interactive learning tools for educators and students. Mystic Seaport for Educators is a key component of the Museum’s “Year of the Charles W. Morgan” in Connecticut, a series of learning tools and programs that utilize the ship and her 2014 38th Voyage to teach a range of subject material, including but not limited to history.

“We chose to honor Emily Schimelman with this Award because she understands that primary sources and hands-on research are more than just a fun experience—they create an opportunity for students to develop and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are integral components of the new Common Core State Standards being implemented in schools today,” said Sarah Cahill, director of Education at Mystic Seaport.

About the Award

The Orion Award for Excellence in Experiential Education was introduced in 2005 in honor of the Museum’s 75th Anniversary. Named for one of the most familiar constellations – the Hunter Orion, son of the sea god Poseidon – Orion has often marked the course for many seagoing vessels. Through the Orion Award, Mystic Seaport acknowledges the unique skills and abilities of teachers to link disciplines and communicate ideas with their students, helping their students navigate the course of life.