Familiar face in 'old' place

A familiar face to the Valley and the Saratoga Museum is returning as director. Kimberly Givens, who was employed as director from 2012 to 2014, was rehired by the Saratoga Museum Board of Directors following the departure of the previous director shortly before the end of the regular season.

According to a press release from the board of directors, Givens first came to the Valley from Phoenix, Ariz. during a visit in 2007 and decided to stay. The former, and new, director realized she had a love of history when she began working at the Grand Encampment Museum. Givens said, in the press release, that working at the GEM changed her perspective of museums and historical sites, putting a face on the history. While she visited, and still visits, historical sites and museums while on vacation, her time at the GEM has made her visits even more personal.

The press release goes on to state that Givens has an education background as an administrative assistant and that she is proud of her organizational skills, something she looks to put into use, again, at the Saratoga Museum. The returning director stated that her focus will be "doing things the right way, utilizing best practice standards" as far as curation and to continue to build and display the museum's exhibits in effective ways.

Givens plans to continue established tradition of the Saratoga Museum including the annual wine tasting fundraiser and membership drive, which is scheduled for Feb. 16, an annual meeting for members, an opening weekend celebration and a number of summer events. Another tradition still going strong, and one that Givens noted she began with the help of Liz Wood and George Haigh, is the C.J. Box "Joe Pickett trivia contest."

While the museum is still closed for the season, one of the first things Givens will be doing as director will be to allow visitors and opening the museum gift shop on the four Saturdays prior to Christmas from noon to 4 p.m.