A message from our Board Chair

Hello,

On behalf of the Heurich House Museum, I write with the news that our CEO, Kim Bender, informed the Board that she will be leaving our organization in 2026. We, the Board, staff, donors, and the local DC community that we serve, will miss Kim tremendously. Nonetheless, we are cheering her on as she pursues her next professional endeavor. We will launch a search for her successor in the next few weeks. 

Over the last 13 years, Kim has transformed the Heurich House Museum into a vibrant and inclusive community space that explores American civic identity and updates traditional notions of what a house museum can be. As the museum’s first professional executive director, Kim led a reinvention of the organization’s mission, vision, values, and strategic plan, and implemented professional collections management and preservation programs. She led the enlargement of the museum’s interpretation to include themes of (im)migration and labor through empathetic and inclusive histories, while also serving modern-day craftspeople. Her spearheading of creative projects like Senate Beer helped bring history home to everyday Washingtonians and made the museum a fixture of DC life.

Kim’s background as an environmental and land use attorney with a passion for public history led her to move to DC in 2009 and to start writing a blog about local history and preservation, which also became a regular WAMU radio segment. She was inspired by that work to pivot towards history and preservation, and started volunteering at Heurich House in 2010, ultimately taking leadership of the organization in 2012. She has advocated for the local humanities through her role at the museum, as well as through independent public history work, and will continue to do so as Board President of the DC Archives Foundation, which is currently working to ensure a new DC State Archives building is constructed. 

Thanks to Kim’s leadership, the next Executive Director will take the helm of a successful organization that preserves local history, engages residents with people-driven programming, and stimulates economic opportunities for local makers. The museum’s recent completion of a Conservation Management Plan lays the groundwork for capital projects that will allow the historic property to serve new generations of Washingtonians.

The Heurich House Museum is a vibrant historic site, creative incubator, and gathering place in the heart of Dupont Circle. With a committed board of directors, compassionate staff, and skilled leadership team, the museum is approaching its upcoming Executive Director transition from a position of opportunity and excitement. Although leadership transitions bring out uncertainty, we are confident we will continue our history of leadership with an experienced executive who will guide the organization into its next chapter.

Good Insight, an award-winning, DC-based search firm specializing in non-profit organizations, will partner with us to recruit the Heurich House Museum’s next Executive Director. We will soon share the full position announcement and encourage you to circulate it among professionals with the passion and vision to lead the Heurich House Museum into our next chapter. Early interest may be sent to HHM@good-insight.org. All inquiries will be kept confidential. 

Please join me in thanking Kim for her many years of inspiring, tireless leadership. As we move into our promising future, the Board and I look forward to working with you to ensure the Heurich House Museum continues to thrive.

Sincerely,

Chris Van Orden

Chair, Heurich House Museum Board of Trustees