Submitted by Westport Winery

The nonprofit International Mermaid Museum has hired Bailey Cavender as the museum’s executive director.

Cavender has worked in museum and non-profit organizations for ten years in a variety of roles, as well as teaching high school English for the past five years in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. Prior to that she worked as the education coordinator for the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority aboard the Hawaiian Chieftain. Since then, she said, “I wanted to move back to Grays Harbor and work at one of the community’s many fascinating museums.”

Before her family founded Westport Winery, Carrie Roberts, winery co-owner and a museum board member, served as the land-based education coordinator at the Seaport. Her common history with Cavender generated great camaraderie during the interview.

Museum founder Kim Roberts said, “We are so excited to have Bailey joining our organization. She brings the ability to develop curriculum, create a volunteer program, increase membership, curate displays, and to offer our board of directors insights into modern museum management.”

Cavender said, “The opportunity to work with a museum in its early years is a dream come true for me.” She plans to be on site in mid-June to begin the new chapter in her career.

Cavender is working on her Master’s in Museum Studies and Non-Profit Management from Johns Hopkins University. She has a Master’s in Anthropology and a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho, in addition to Bachelor’s in History and English from Whitworth University.

The museum is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is on the grounds of Westport Winery Garden Resort, located halfway between Westport and Aberdeen on the Washington Coast.

The International Mermaid Museum is dedicated to teaching ocean ecology from seashore to sea floor immersed in mermaid mythology uniting world cultures. In addition to being self-sustaining, funds raised by the museum are designated to providing ocean ecology curriculum and scholarship for students seeking careers in the marine industry. For more information go to International Mermaid Museum website.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email