“My peer review experiences have been extremely satisfying and motivational. The staff and volunteers of the various museums have been so eager for input and willing to accept my comments and suggestions. The site visits let me step back from the day-to-day challenges of my own institution and help me see the relevance of museums. Being a peer reviewer renews my passion. It's the least I can do for a profession that's given me so much.”

Matt Mayberry, Director, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
MAP and Accreditation Peer Reviewer

"Serving as a peer reviewer has helped me to fine tune and hone my museum management skills. The opportunity to work side-by-side colleagues - those with whom you conduct visits as well as those you visit - is invaluable. While the time commitment is considerable, the professional rewards that result from the peer review experience are immeasurable."

Kathy Kelsey Foley, Director, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, WI
Accreditation Peer Reviewer

“The peer review process always keeps you up to speed on “best practices” in the field. Each and every visit you make also gives you new ideas that you can take back to your museum for improvement. It is an enjoyable experience, meeting staff in other museums and visiting institutions and communities that you might not ever get to see otherwise.”

Joe Schenck, Director, Gilcrease Museum, OK
MAP and Accreditation Peer Reviewer

“It's all very fine to read about standards and best practices, but having the opportunity to see them in practice in actual situations is invaluable. The real thing is always better than a printed guideline. I learn so much from good examples, but, of course, the occasional poor ones stick in the mind, too, as cautionary tales!”

Patricia Miller, Director, Illinois Heritage Association
MAP and Accreditation Peer Reviewer

“Serving as a peer reviewer has been one of the most enjoyable and gratifying experiences of my career. It has enabled me to visit museums and meet colleagues throughout the country that I would never have done otherwise. Along the way, I hope that I have benefited them by sharing lessons learned and by offering perspectives that may have been overlooked. There is no doubt that I have gained numerous insights that have benefited me personally and the museums where I have worked. Peer review is fun, it is rewarding, and it strengthens the profession we all believe in.”

Burt Logan, Director, USS Constitution Museum, MA
MAP and Accreditation Peer Reviewer

“We recently underwent a collections MAP. As a peer reviewer, it's easy to think that the only thing you'll get out of the process is a colleague's viewpoint. However, having the opportunity to stop your frenetic pace, think in a focused zone about your daily work and HEAR the responses of your co-workers and lay leadership is amazingly enlightening and energizing.”

Vivian Zoe, Director, Slater Memorial Museums, CT
MAP and Accreditation Peer Reviewer