The Museum of Worcester has selected its incoming executive director, marking the museum’s first leadership transition in half a century.
Eric Butler will begin his tenure as executive director starting on Jan. 5, according to a Wednesday Instagram post by the museum.
“With Eric Butler, the Museum of Worcester begins an exciting new era,” Diane Giampa, the museum’s board president, said in the post.
Butler will succeed William Wallace who has held the executive position since July 1, 1976. Wallace announced his upcoming retirement after 50 years in April.
Butler comes to the museum having most recently worked for three years as vice president of City Year, a Boston-based program of AmeriCorps, according to his LinkedIn profile.
In 2022, he founded Broadway in Worcester, an organization bringing Broadway performers to Central Massachusetts.
Since opening, the organization has brought a number of Broadway stars to the region, including Cheyenne Jackson, an Emmy- and Grammy-nominated performer whose appeared in television shows such as “American Horror Story,” “Glee,” and “30 Rock;” and Megan Hilty, a Tony- and Grammy-nominated performer who starred in the TV series “Smash.”
Butler has been a part of the Museum of Worcester community since childhood through visits and early academic projects, according to the release.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester and his master’s degree from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.
“We know he will leverage his love of history, deep connections in the community, and track record of philanthropic success to continue to lead the evolution of the Museum going forward,” Giampa said in the post.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
