Southold Historical Museum director stepping down after 13 years

Deanna Witte-Walker, executive director of Southold Historical Museum, recently announced her plan to move out of New York and as a result, will be leaving her position at the museum.

“If someone had told me 25 years ago that I’d have such great friendships and so many connections here after this period of time, I would have never believed them,” Ms. Witte-Walker said of her decades living in Southold. “You work closely with people and you get to know everyone’s stories, so it really enhances our whole life out here.”

Helping expand the museum’s audience and sharing stories through museum exhibits that represent everyone in the community are among Ms. Witte-Walker’s proudest accomplishments. She pointed to the “Enslavement in Southold ” permanent exhibit at the Maple Lane Complex and “This Land is Made for You and Me,” which documents the often underrepresented history of laborers who lived in local migrant camps as prime examples.

“I think those are really meaningful, because not only is it about the audience, but it’s about whose history we’re sharing,” she said. “So I feel that those were significant and I’m proud of that.”

Early on in her time as executive director, Ms. Witte-Walker suggested the museum hire a consultant to help with grant applications, which has led to some significant funding infusions throughout her tenure. Most recently, the museum announced receiving a $30,000 grant from the New York State Council of the Arts that will help preserve and restore the museum’s historic buildings.

One challenge Ms. Witte-Walker faced was leading the museum through the COVID-19 shutdowns and subsequent reopening. She also noted that prioritizing the many diverse duties the role requires was another challenge she overcame.

Ms. Witte-Walker started working at the Southold Historical Society, now the Southold Historical Museum, as an office administrator in July 2011 after long-time administrator Susi Young retired. For the next six years, she worked under the leadership of executive directors, Geoffrey Fleming and then Karen Lund. She was appointed assistant director in August 2017 and made the leap to executive director in 2018. 

“You never had to worry about things getting done because they were going to get done,” said Geoffrey Fleming, who served as director of the museum from 2003 through 2015. “She is a very reliable person and has just an incredibly funny and pleasant demeanor, which is nice to have in an office.”

The museum’s Board of Trustees president John Barnes acknowledged many of Ms. Witte-Walker’s achievements.

“Deanna has offered well-respected and professional leadership in creating solid volunteer participation, effective development of programs, securing meaningful financial support from the community and through drawing in several grants to support improvement of facilities and exhibits,” Mr. Barnes said.

Ms. Witte-Walker and her husband, Brian Walker, manager of the Southold Pharmacy, are moving to Huntersville, North Carolina in September to be closer to their children. The Board of Trustees established an executive director search team to seek out, interview and recommend a new executive director.

Ms. Witte-Walker hopes that there will be some overlap between when the new executive director begins and she leaves. “In an ideal world, I’ll be able to impart some of what I’ve learned,” Ms. Witte-Walker said, adding that she hopes to be able to help with the transition in person but will make herself available over the phone as well.

Ms. Witte-Walker and Mr. Walker are currently looking for jobs in the Charlotte area. Mr. Walker — who celebrated 25 years of working at Southold Pharmacy early this year — will remain in the retail industry as the couple settles in North Carolina, Ms. Witte-Walker said. 

She hopes to take some time to learn about the museum and non-profit world in the region and find something that’ll combine the skills she has from her background in early education along with her masters degree in Museum Studies.

Interacting with community members is Ms. Witte-Walker’s favorite part of the job.

“There’s no doubt,” she said. “And I think if you ask people what they like most about Southold Historical Museum, they say it’s the people. A few people will say the history … but for the most part it’s the people. We’ve got a wonderful group of volunteers.”

Ms. Witte-Walker said that she considers herself to have been “fortunate to work in a setting that is so well supported by the community.”