Lake Region Heritage Center Has Expert Help to Stay Viable

DEVILS LAKE, ND (WDAZ-TV) - A Lake Region museum is calling in an expert for help to keep it running smoothly. The Lake Region Heritage Center struggles to keep its look and feel fresh for visitors with a small budget and few employees.

The North Dakota Historical Society is sending consultants to small museums across the state to help with everything from exhibits to finances.

Skip Drake retired from the Minnesota State Historical Society last year, and now he travels to small museums offering guidance.

He'll meet with the Heritage Center board and staff for two days to find out how the museum operates, then he'll examine every aspect of the museum to ensure it remains viable for years to come.

"What we do is we take a look at how the museum works and talk about administration and collection and educational programs and interpretation, governance and finance, and security and buildings themselves," Drake said.

Drake says he'll take a couple weeks to write a report on the museum and offer recommendations.

He'll be back in Devils Lake this fall to work with the board on a long-range plan for the Heritage Center.

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