The historical society is pleased to announce the hire of Suzanne AuClair as its new executive director. AuClair brings extensive experience to the position in producing, writing, editing, and operations. The Rockwood resident has written about the Moosehead Lake region over the past 22 years, with a specific interest in writing for historical context. She has received numerous awards from the Maine Press Assn. and the New England Outdoor Writers Assn. for her news analyses and feature stories. Her chronicling of the life and times of the Moosehead Lake region has been featured in state and national journals. She is a long-time columnist with the Northwoods Sporting Journal, Maine’s premiere sportsmen’s magazine.
“There’s an unending amount to learn and write about. I’ve always considered it a real privilege to tell the stories about the people, events, and times of our region. My hope is to be able to continually capture the essence and spirit of a given time; here, through our historical exhibits and programs. I’m really thrilled to be part of such a great organization,” said AuClair, who has contributed to many area organizations and served on a number of boards, including the International Seaplane Fly-In and the Natural Resource Education Center.
An avid outdoorswoman, she is passionate about her Maine heritage and about collecting regional historical and cultural stories. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Maine, with graduate courses in literature from the University of New Hampshire and Harvard University. Prior to moving back to Maine in the mid-1990s, she was Director of Operations for Chamber Theatre Productions, Inc., Boston, Ma., which produces national tours of classic literature and the Elliot Norton Awards, Boston’s version of the Tony’s. At Moosehead, she was a long-time writer and community liaison for the former regional newspaper, Moosehead Messenger. Most recently, she initiated and produced the State of Maine’s first fisheries management reference anthology, “The Origin, Formation & History of Maine’s Inland Fisheries Division.”
About the new appointment, AuClair said, “For me, every day is a gift and an adventure, so that’s how I see this position. As your new director, my top goal is to be an excellent steward of Moosehead’s history. I also hope to bring a lot of energy and fun to many future projects, and to expand on the ties made within our community and the fine archival system built during Candy’s and Everett’s tenure.”
The Moosehead Historical Society began with a few dedicated residents in 1962. Today, it is described as one of the finest small town museums in New England by William Cook, past president of Maine Archives and Museums.