Czech Museum announces promotion and hires

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library announced four new hires and one promotion.

The changes precede a massive effort to move, elevate and expand the cultural museum and library in Czech Village.

Janet Stoffer was promoted to a new position as director of operations. Stoffer was with the museum as a tour guide from 1992 to 1994 and returned in 2000.

She has served in numerous capacities, most recently as director of programs and education. Under her leadership, the museum saw growth in the number and quality of educational programs and public events.

Andrea Jilovec is the new director of education and programs.

Jilovec is developing public programs and educational curricula to accompany the new exhibition, “Rising Above: The Story of a People and the Flood,” opening this spring.

Before joining the museum staff, Jilovec was education coordinator at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

Rosamund “Rosie” Johnston joined the staff as the oral history project coordinator. The new position was funded by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Johnston will coordinate efforts to record the personal stories, family sagas and community histories of emigres from Czechoslovakia who settled in Washington, D.C., Cleveland and Chicago.

Johnston hails from Scotland but spent the last few years working as a reporter for Czech Radio in Prague before moving to Cedar Rapids to join the museum.

Douglas Smith came on board as the director of retail and business development.

Smith has more than 27 years of business experience. He managed retail development at The Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn., the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Okla., and the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indiana.

He has expertise in product development and packaging, for which he won several national awards. Smith is in charge of developing the museum store, including the online store.

Lindsey Buchheit joined the museum administrative team as database manager.

This position is responsible for the management and implementation of the fundraising database and prospect management system.

Buchheit began her career in fundraising at RuffaloCODY, where she was top fundraiser for the Museum of Science in Boston as well as the National Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati.

She also served as the development director for KRFC 88.9 FM Community Public Radio in Fort Collins, Colo.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is the nation's foremost institution preserving and interpreting Czech and Slovak history and culture.