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4 <br />ATTACHMENT #1 <br /><btaylor797 @aol. com> <br />Sent: Nov 29, 2009 05:41:51 PM <br />To: <barbarabaker08@verizon.net>, <atullos@co.orange.nc.us> <br />November 29, 2009 <br />Dear Ms. Baker: <br />Thank you for providing me with the copy of the RFP for the Orange County Heritage <br />Center. The project sounds very forward-thinking to combine many of the local archival <br />resources into one facility for the ease of the researcher and preservation of the resources. I <br />am familiar with at least one other operation that is being established. And when I was at the <br />High Point Museum I considered such a project for the preservation of the history of the <br />furniture industry that has been fragmented to various institutions. I believe that a project <br />such as yours is a thoughtful way to conserve resources. <br />I would be most interested in working with your group over the next several months and I have <br />the time to commit to this project. The strength that I bring to the table is that I have been <br />associated with four museum construction projects, at various phases. I have been involved in <br />selection of site taking into consideration location, needs and cost for the project. I have <br />worked with architects to interview key employees and board members who could best suggest <br />what is required, as well as working with the community through public charettes to ascertain <br />their desires for the new facility. I am aware of requisite environmental conditions for storage <br />of archives and collections as well as general museum galleries. I have worked with fundraising <br />counsel to understand the position and interest of a project in the community, and how to <br />promote it. I have been involved with considering how an institution works with and through <br />other organizations to develop its niche. And I have had to project needed personnel and <br />budgetary resources for the operation of an expanded facility. During these construction <br />projects I have worked with the refit of ofd buildings as well as design of new structures. <br />Additionally, my first job in the museum profession was at an institution that had just opened. I <br />was responsible for setting up the documentation of the collection, researching and training <br />individuals to give tours, as well as publicity for the new institution. At other museums I found <br />that the institution needed much help and organization. I have had to create procedures to <br />establish professional measures within museum operations. This has included restructuring file <br />storage for the day-to-day business of the operation, as well as establishing proper procedures <br />to organize collections. In one museum I had to oversee the separation of working museum <br />documents from collection related documents. While I like to see an organization in good <br />shape, 1 understand how to break down a project to get the institution where it needs to <br />be. Similarly, if various institutions are melded together, protocols will need to be <br />established. All of these issues will be among your concerns as this project is further studied. <br />Regarding knowledge of grants, I have been writing grants since 1983. I calculate that I have <br />easily acquired close to a million dollars through grants during my career, many of these being <br />grants no larger than $2 - $5,000 dollars. 1 am very familiar with state and national programs, <br />as well as corporate opportunities. In 2008 I wrote 18 grants to obtain funding for the <br />