2025 Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI)

January 21-28, 2025  


The Jekyll Island Management Institute will be offered again January 21 - 28, 2025. Applications will open in summer 2024.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE JIMI CLASS OF 2023 



2023 JIMI COHORT 


  

Want to learn more about the Jekyll Island Management Institute? Watch the short video clips below to hear from JIMI alums, 2023 instructors and program administrators!


Special thanks to SEMC Program Administrator, Heather Nowak, for pulling together the interviews and producing the video. SEMC is also grateful to Stefanie Green, Michael Scott and Nancy Fields for taking the time to reflect on JIMI's past and future!

Program Overview

The Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI) is an immersive experience for museum professionals who seek to broaden their understanding of museum operations in order to advance to management or leadership roles in the museum field. 

During the 8-day Institute, participants will learn current best practices of visitor-facing and behind-the-scenes work in museums with a focus on incorporating diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, and the use of technology into all subjects. JIMI attendees will have the opportunity to hear from current experts across the museum field and work collaboratively with peers to discuss challenges and solutions to real world museum issues. 

All sessions will be held at Villa Ospo in the Jekyll Island Historic District

The Institute will be structured as a tour of the museum. Sessions will use case studies to allow students to identify and discuss best practices in a range of visitor-facing and behind-the-scenes roles in a museum. Rather than taking a deep dive into any particular role, participants will receive an overview and come away with a better understanding of how the roles in a museum work together to form an institution. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from current experts in the field and from each other during sessions covering participant’s areas of expertise.

Target Learning Objectives

Through a series of practical application exercises, students will become familiar with current best practices in visitor facing and behind-the-scenes museum work while developing a network of museum professionals.

          

JIMI 2025 attendees will have opportunities to experience and learn from the rich historic resources, sites and tours on Jekyll Island

Thank you to the 2023 Jekyll Island Management Institute Sponsors


With additional support from: 

Mary Miller

Heather Nowak

Arkansas Museums Association

Mississippi Museums Association

North Carolina Museums Council

JIMI2023 Instructors (The call for JIMI2025 Instructors will open in Spring 2024)

JIMI Instructors provide subject area expertise and practical approaches to administrative challenges. Click HERE to see session descriptions. 

 

Amy Bartow-Melia
Executive Director
South Carolina State Museum

JIMI 2023 Subjects: 
Accreditation
Strategic Planning 



 

David Butler, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Knoxville Museum of Art

JIMI 2023 Subjects:
Boards
Ethics 


Robin Bauer Kilgo
Consultant/Independent  
Registrar
TarraLou Consulting, LLC

JIMI 2023 Subjects:  
Collections Planning  
Disaster Preparedness


 


Cierra Selby
Digital Marketing Specialist
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

JIMI 2023 Subjects: 
Social Media
Internal Communications


 


Mattie Codling
Director of Collections and Exhibitions
Walter Anderson Museum of Art

JIMI 2023 Subject: 
Curation  


 


Nancy Fields
Director and Curator
Museum of the Southeast American Indian

JIMI 2023Subject: 
Community Engagement 


 

Stefanie Green
Business, Operations & Communications Manager
Kennesaw State University, Department of Museums, Archives & Rare Books

JIMI 2023 Subjects:
Budgeting
Human Resources  



 


Shawn Halifax
Executive Director Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House Historic Sites


JIMI 2023 Subject:
Interpretation


 


Virginia Howell
Executive Director
Robert C.  Williams  Museum of Papermaking


JIMI 2023 Subjects: 
Education 
Public Programming



Felicia Ingram
Manager of Interpretation, Accessibility,
and Diversity North Carolina Museum of Art

JIMI 2023 Subject:
Accessibility


 

Elise LeCompte
Registrar, Coordinator of Museum Health and Safety, Adjunct Professor
Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida
JIMI 2023 Subjects:
Collections Care
Archives and Records



Ellen Lofaro, Ph.D.
Director of Repatriation & Curator of Archaeology, University of Tennessee

JIMI 2023 Subject:
Community Engagement



Skye Malish-Olson

Head of Exhibition Design  
High Museum of Art

JIMI 2023 Subject:  
Exhibition Design


 

Anne McCuddon

Executive Director
Thomasville History Center

JIMI 2023 Subjects:
Staff and Volunteer Management


 

Linda McNay

Founder/Owner
Our Fundraising Search

JIMI 2023 Subjects: 
Capital Campaigns
Major Gifts


 


David Paule
Sr. Fundraising Consultant
Our Fundraising Search 

JIMI 2023 Subjects:
Membership
Corporate Sponsorship


 


Robin Reed
Museum Consultant 
Jan McKay and Associates

JIMI 2023 Subject:
The Changing Museum Field
JIMI2023 Facilitator


 

 learn more about each JIMI2023 INSTRUCTOR!


Who should consider attending JIMI?

The Jekyll Island Management Institute is designed for emerging and mid-career museum professionals interested in filling knowledge gaps in subjects related to museum operations required for management level and leadership positions. It is preferred (but not required) that applicants have at least two years full-time museum experience.

Application/Selection Process

The JIMI2023 cohort is comprised of 16-18 individuals selected via an application process. All applications were reviewed by the JIMI2023 Selection Committee comprised of SEMC Council members and JIMI alums.

*JIMI2023 Schedule


*August 30, 2022: Please note this is a working schedule and may be subject to change.

JIMI2023 Tuition

Tuition for the 8-day program is $850 for SEMC members or members of another museum professional organization ($950 for all others) and includes instruction and Institute resources. Some meals will be provided.

JIMI2023 Lodging/On-Island Transportation

Lodging at the oceanfront host hotel, the Hampton Inn & Suites, Jekyll Island, is available at the SEMC group rate of $139-$159 +tax per night (depending on room type) and will be responsibility of each JIMI attendee. Large double rooms and suites are available to share. A daily full breakfast buffet (6:00AM-10:00AM) is included. A shuttle will be available to transport JIMI attendees between the Hampton Inn (south side of the Island) and Villa Ospo (session location in the Historic District - a five minute drive).

Hampton Inn and Suites, Jekyll Island, GA

All JIMI 2023 sessions will be held in the Jekyll Island Historic District 

Peter S. LaPaglia Scholarship 

Thanks to years of ongoing generosity of many friends and colleagues of the late Peter S. LaPaglia (co-founder of JIMI), the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) is pleased to offer two scholarships to cover 2023 program tution. Learn more about the LaPaglia ScholarshipThe application period for 2023 LaPaglia Scholarships has closed. Please check back for future JIMI programs.

Additional JIMI Scholarships

Check with your state museum association as many offer additional scholarships to cover the cost of JIMI tuition. 

Confirmed State Associations Offering JIMI2023 Tuition Scholarships:

  • North Carolina Museums Council offers a full tuition scholarship ($850) for one JIMI attendee from North Carolina. Visit the website for more information. 

JIMI Sponsorship Opportunities

Consider supporting SEMC's successful Jekyll Island Management Institute (JIMI) as it moves toward the 2023 relaunch! This successful program has attracted applicants from all over the United States and its alumni have assumed key leadership positions in leading museums and organizations. Please contact Zinnia Willits for sponsorship information/opportunities at zwillits@semcdirect.net


SUPPORT THE PETER LAPAGLIA JIMI SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT FUND

Click on the video below to learn more about the evaluation the Jekyll Island Management Institute underwent in 2021.

Information about JIMI's first twenty years  can be found in our brochure

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT :

Zinnia Willits
Executive Director
Southeastern Museums Conference
Phone: 404.814.2048

zwillits@semcdirect.net




 

THANK YOU TO PAST JIMI LEADERSHIP AND FACULTY!

Martha Battle Jackson


Upon the culmination of the Jekyll Island Management Institute’s (JIMI) 20th year in 2020, Martha Battle Jackson, JIMI founder and administrator, announced that “it is time for me to step back and let the next generation take the reins.” Martha’s dedication, commitment, and passion have made it possible for JIMI to be the most affordable, successful professional development program in the nation.

In the 20 years of JIMI’s existence, approximately 30 different faculty from around the country have shared their expertise with 339 museum professionals from 31 states, representing all regional associations, and the District of Columbia. Many have gained the confidence to assume directorships of museums, conduct capital campaigns, build new facilities or expand current ones, improve collections management practices, create new educational programs, write disaster preparedness and response manuals, obtain AAM accreditation, and take leadership roles in national, regional, and state museum associations. It truly has taken a village of people to build this program to be a national success story, so I feel confident that new JIMI leadership can build on the firm foundationwe have established.”  - MBJ

SEMC has been honored to work with Martha on JIMI these many years and will work diligently to ensure the JIMI program continues to embody her vision and leadership.

John Lancaster


After working as Facilitator with Martha Battle Jackson for over a decade, John Lancaster also retired from his role with the Jekyll Island Management Institute in 2020.

It is my hope that JIMI will prosper and continue to provide an opportunity for museum professionals to further develop their management skills and improve the overall museum experience for those that work at and visit museums in this country.”– John Lancaster

SEMC is grateful for John’s many years of service and support of this important program.