Timothy J. Chester began his Grand Rapids-based consulting business in 2006 to assist humanities-based institutions, museums and historical societies in achieving excellence through operations, innovative program planning and growth through resource assessment, strategic thinking, and good planning. His extensive background as both museum director and trustee, and as a chief curator provided him with the tools and insight to guide museums through the quandaries of planning, challenges of governance, and the aspirations of facility expansion and program growth.
Tim’s background is in art history/history and American culture, with an M.A. and additional graduate work in Museum Studies from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). He completed his residency requirements at Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village which led to his post of Assistant Director for Collections at the Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans, followed by twenty years of leading the Public Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan – the nation’s first accredited museum. Through these experiences, he has been led numerous preservation projects; strategic planning; capital, program and endowment campaigns; facility expansions and new museum planning and construction and exhibition planning and fabrication. His work at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Museum Center has given him substantive experience in planning and managing temporary and traveling exhibitions. He has been a peer reviewer of national grants and a volunteer for assessment and accreditation programs for twenty five years.
Tim’s consulting work assists cultural institutions in academic, government, and non-profit settings. His volunteer work in the field includes association governance, the peer review programs of the American Association of Museums and service on the boards of the Michigan Humanities Council and the American Museum of Magic. Recent clients include The Henry Ford’s traveling exhibition program, Grand Valley State University, the Michigan Museums Association and the Muskegon Museum of Art.
Timothy J. Chester
Timothy J. Chester & Associates, LLC
371 Sunset Ave., NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504-4954
616 791-9960 phone
616 340-6299 mobile
timothychester@comcast.net