With 70 percent of the exhibits installed and new ones being tested weekly, GulfQuest is ramping things up on the operations side, filling three key positions on the administrative team with more on the way.
Traci Swoboda joins GulfQuest as Director of Volunteer Services, Diana Brewer will serve as Director of Marketing and Public Relations, and Gin Mathers joins the crew as Art Director.
Swoboda, whose role will include establishing and overseeing the museum's volunteer program, has an extensive background in maintaining volunteer programs for non-profit organizations. For five years, Swoboda served as executive assistant for Volunteer Mobile, an organization established by the Junior League of Mobile to recruit and manage volunteers for Mobile organizations. In this capacity, she coordinated the efforts of more than 800 volunteers for the BayFest Music Festival for four years straight. She also organized and executed 5K runs, golf tournaments, and silent and live auctions. Swoboda also served as volunteer coordinator for Penelope House, where she recruited, screened, interviewed, trained and assigned volunteers to serve victims of domestic abuse. She is a graduate of Florida State University, where she served as a press office intern for Florida Governor Lawton Chiles her senior year.
Swoboda's duties include recruiting and training volunteers, creating volunteer assignments and establishing work schedules to meet the museum's volunteer needs.
"Volunteers will play a critical role at GulfQuest," Executive Director Tony Zodrow said. "With 90 exhibits on what is essentially eight levels, we will need trained volunteers throughout the museum. It's an exciting opportunity for volunteers in our community."
Brewer, whose role will include developing and implementing integrated marketing and communications strategies and plans for the museum, has an extensive background in marketing and PR at Mobile Symphony Orchestra and Thomas Hospital/Infirmary Health System. She has been with Mobile Symphony for the past three years, following her previous 17-year tenure as Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Thomas Hospital/Infirmary Health System where she oversaw a highly-successful opening of a new wing of Thomas Hospital and created several membership programs. Since 2012, Brewer has served on the Fairhope City Council, where she serves on the council's Education Advisory Committee. She has been a champion for obtaining private funding for the educational endeavors of Fairhope schools as former Executive Director of the Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of South Alabama, where she served as editor of the student newspaper.
Brewer will oversee all public relations, advertising, publications, website, social media, promotions and events for the museum, including receptions, exhibit openings and fund raisers. She will also support the marketing and PR needs of other museum departments and will serve as one of the museum's primary external communicators.
Mathers, GulfQuest's art director, will fulfill the graphic design needs of the administration and other museum departments by creating, designing and producing all print and digital graphic designs and materials, including sales and promotional items such as interior and exterior signage, banners, brochures, advertising, visitor guides, invitations, programs, postcards, flyers, banners, newsletters, posters and affinity products.
A graduate of the University of Alabama, Mathers served as creative director of Meyers Vacation Rentals for four years where she was responsible for carrying out the corporate brand throughout all marketing materials. Her previous experiences include art direction and graphic design in the corporate world and with local advertising agencies where she was the recipient of several ADDY awards for her design work.
"We are so pleased with the new additions to our administrative team," Zodrow said. "All three have impressive backgrounds in their respective fields, and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the museum."
Future hires will include a Finance/HR Director, Development Director, Visitor Services Director and Special Events/Groups Sales Coordinator.
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