The Board of Directors of the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Beth Kowalski as our new Executive Director, effective September 16, 2025.
“As Board President, I am honored to welcome Beth into this role,” said Tracy Honn, President of the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum’s Board of Directors.
“Our search was grounded in our values of being a museum that is welcoming, community-minded, open, responsive, passionate, and steadfast. We were focused on finding an accomplished, mission-driven, and engaged leader to catalyze Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum as it activates its ambitious twenty-five year strategic plan. We found that person in Beth Kowalski.” said Honn. “Beth stood out for her experience leading dynamic teams, stewarding nationally recognized collections and exhibitions, and securing significant funding for cultural institutions. She brings the kind of leadership that will carry our work forward in bold and meaningful ways.”
With more than 28 years of experience working in and with museums across the state of Wisconsin and beyond, Beth brings a remarkable record of enhancing equity, creating award-winning, community-inspired exhibitions, growing donor networks, and developing operational and administrative frameworks. These efforts have resulted in her work being recognized by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) through its Award of Excellence (three times), the Business Recognition Award from the Greater Green Bay Chapter, the Lavender Leadership Award from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay Pride Center, and the Best Museum & Art Gallery Community Choice Awards (eleven times). Beth serves as an Accreditation and Museum Assessment Peer Reviewer for the American Alliance of Museums and is a Community Liaison for the Green Bay Public Arts Commission. Beth holds a Master of Arts in Historical Administration (Eastern Illinois University) and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education (Indiana University).
Beyond her professional achievements, Beth is a passionate supporter of artists, art making, and history. She enjoys creating memorable experiences for her two boys and spending time with her close family and friends. She loves to travel anywhere there is water and a beach as well as visiting as many cultural attractions as possible. Beth is actively engaged in the development and preservation of community partnerships and programming opportunities with local cultural resources in Northeastern Wisconsin. She believes everyone's personal story matters.
In her new role, Beth will provide strategic leadership and oversight of Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum’s rich programs and partnerships, fundraising, financial management, marketing, and operations, while collaborating closely with the Board, staff, and the many communities we serve, to deepen Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum’s mission to preserve history for creative use today.
“Joining Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum as Executive Director is an incredible honor,” notes Beth. “I’m excited to work alongside this talented team to advance Hamilton’s mission, celebrate wood type, printing history, and the legacy of Hamilton Manufacturing in Two Rivers. I look forward to working with everyone to strengthen connections between the museum’s friends and supporters near and far.”
We look forward to a smooth transition and an exciting new chapter ahead.