Kemble named Skydiving Museum Administrator

[PhreeZone 20]

http://www.orangenews.com/ocn/lifestyles/announcements/article/kemble_named_skydiving_museum_administrator/34171/
Published: January 15, 2009

The National Skydiving Museum is pleased to announce that it has hired Nancy Kemble of Locust Grove, Virginia, as its first museum administrator. Nancy comes to the museum with extensive experience in the not-for-profit sector having worked for the past twenty years in public relations and events management with various chapters of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Since moving to Virginia in 2007, Nancy has been doing free-lance marketing for numerous organizations including the Charlottesville multiple sclerosis chapter and Smith-Midland Corporation in Midland, VA.
Among Nancy’s initial responsibilities will be to manage a $5 million capital building fund raising campaign so that construction can begin on the museum in the SouthPoint Centre, an ideal site along the I-95 corridor. The museum has already acquired the land through a generous grant from the W. J. Vakos Company as well as donations from museum trustees and numerous organizations and individuals. The museum will be situated adjacent to the U.S. Parachute Association where Nancy’s office will be housed until construction of the museum is complete.
“Nancy’s knowledge and vast fundraising expertise makes her an excellent fit to make the dream of the skydiving museum into a reality.“ said Christopher Needels, member of the board of trustees for the museum.
Nancy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. She resides in Locust Grove with her husband, Kerry, and their two boys, Zachary, 15, and Nicholas, 11.
When completed, the 20,000 square feet National Skydiving Museum will recognize and promote the sport of skydiving through public education and awareness; recognize the contribution to skydiving by its participants, suppliers and supporters; capture forever the history of the sport through is events, equipment and personalities; and enhance aviation safety as it pertains to skydiving. It is expected the museum will draw visitors from throughout the world to experience the thrill of skydiving through its history of people, equipment and events.
For more information on the National Skydiving Museum, please contact Nancy Kemble at 540-604-9745 (direct line), 302-897-4051 (cell) or museum@uspa.org .

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[JohnRich 4]

Just curious: is Nancy a jumper?

No, I'm not trying to imply that this is an ironclad requirement to do a good job in this position.

I'm just curious.

[diablopilot 2]

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Just curious: is Nancy a jumper?

No, I'm not trying to imply that this is an ironclad requirement to do a good job in this position.

I am.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[howardwhite 6]

She is not.

HW

[NickDG 23]

I guess I've kinda soured on the ol' USPA lately, but I can't help but wonder how much they are paying her?

And haven't we been hearing about this "museum" for 30 years now. How much money already went down that rat hole? What will it cost in upkeep and salaries? And who's going to visit it except maybe traveling skydivers? The general public? "Johnny and Susy, quick come look, here's the exciting Wonderhog diorama!" "And oh my, the hall of past USPA Executive Directors!" Will an animatronic Bill Ottley rise from a chair like Disney's Lincoln to give his spiel about early skydiving like he did every year at PIA?

Don't get me wrong, I love history, I just don't trust USPA's motives anymore.

But hopefully they'll hire a museum curator under Miss Fundraiser who knows a pud from a blast handle . . .

NickD

[jumpwally 0]

I agree,,,we need a museum like we need a hole in the reserve...we should have rented some space from Air & Space museum or something like that and did a reasonable display. I want to know who is going to come to this museum over and over to keep the doors open ?

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[PhreeZone 20]

I really hate to rain on a good USPA bashing but I'm pretty sure the USPA is not paying a dime towards this and this is all coming out of the funds that the Museum already has set aside for its operation. Now some of those starter funds potentially came from the USPA through out the years but this is not a budget item the USPA has to pay for as a reoccurring expense, it is now up to the non-Profit (and therefor Kemble) to generate the funds via fund raising to pay her own salary and make enough money to get the museum built.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[NickDG 23]

These days, with all the good causes that go begging she'll need a gun to raise funds for a "skydiving museum."

A year or two, and a resume building entry later, she'll be gone.

Hello, White Elephant . . .

What happened to Mike Horan? I thought he was heading all this up. (Or am I hopelessly behind the curve here)?

Anyone remember that 4-way set of manikins USPA paid a bundle for in the early 80s? It was made (in France, I think) in the likenesses of Bill Ottley, Jerry Bird, a Golden Knight and some oldtimer from the barnstorming days. It was really well done and it hung in the Smitty Air & Space museum for a while and then it was removed to make way for something else.

Some years later I found it hanging in the San Diego Air & Space museum but it was all wrong in the way it was positioned obviously being done by a non-jumper. All the gear was messed up with ripcords floating out all over the place and straps mis-routed.

I mentioned it in the curator's office and then spent a few hours with some volunteers on a ladder fixing it. I haven't been down there in a couple of years, but as far as I know its still there . . .

Someone should go down there and rescue it for the new museum. They could title the exhibit, "USPA's Excessive Use of Dues for Egotistical Purposes!"

NickD

[howardwhite 6]

Without engaging in the debate here:

--AFAIK, Mike Horan was never an active participant in the museum effort. As to his whereabouts, I sent a letter last month to the address USPA had on file for him; it came back undeliverable.
--The four-way to which you refer was Ottley, Bird, Dick Fortenberry (D-38, one of the original Knights) and Mike Johnston (who, I think, would be surprised at being characterized as "some oldtimer from the barnstorming days.") I think Ottley paid for it personally.

HW

[NickDG 23]

LOL, I know Mike, I just haven't seen the thing for a while and forgot what they did.

The original idea was to represent four different "eras" of the sport and to include "an old barnstomer type" but they went a different way . . .

NickD

[howardwhite 6]

To refresh your memory, here it is when it was in the Smithsonian. Mike's in the blue jumpsuit, wearing a poptop reserve.

HW

[airbigdaddy 0]

Thanks for clearing that up, Howard. You're always good at setting the story straight before the rumor mill hits full speed. Otherwise, people would quickly be convinced that our USPA dues are soon going up to pay some overdue bill that some National Skydiving Museum curator from 20 years ago failed to pay.

I'm glad to know that, once again, some people's hints at USPA's "horrific fund management and leadership," or something routinely along those lines, are unfounded.

p.s. I hope you're well. Long time no talk to.

-Lambert-

"It's better to be looked over than overlooked."

[Krip 2]

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Thanks for clearing that up, Howard. You're always good at setting the story straight before the rumor mill hits full speed. Otherwise, people would quickly be convinced that our USPA dues are soon going up to pay some overdue bill that some National Skydiving Museum curator from 20 years ago failed to pay.

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I may have mised it but didn't see any statements from Howard about the USPA's funding of the museum. Phreezones statement about the lack of a specific line item in USPA budget is interesting due to the broad catorgories in their budget. so its hard to tell without a audit how much USPA money has been/will be spent on the museum.

I think we've all seen some fund raisers expenses count for the majority of the funds they raise. I hope Ms Kemple efforts won't be more of the same.

Time will tell.

R.I.P.

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