Mount Vernon Names New Vice President for Education

MOUNT VERNON, VA—The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association recently tapped seasoned museum professional K. Allison Wickens to serve as vice president for education, furthering the education mission of first president’s estate. Wickens will work on behalf of Mount Vernon’s newest facility, the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, to develop, deploy, and evaluate educational resources for teachers, students, and lifelong learners.

“Allison is a dynamic leader with a keen understanding of the changing education landscape,” said Dr. Doug Bradburn, founding director of the Library. “She understands how critical it is that we dedicate our resources to programs that can make a difference to time-strapped teachers and students in this challenging environment.”

Before taking on her new role at Mount Vernon, Wickens led the education and visitor services divisions at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Postal Museum. During her twelve-year tenure at the National Postal Museum, she developed programs for local families, students, teachers, and stamp collectors and enthusiasts, demonstrating her skills in K-12 programming, technology integration, and evaluation.

She also served as the lead educator on the museum’s gallery expansion project and played a guiding role in the development of its new visitor experience, orientation center, and teacher training program. In recognition of her leadership in the field of museum education, Wickens was part of an elite group selected to participate in the 2012 Seminar for Historical Administration’s “Developing History Leaders at SHA” course.

“My passion for history comes alive when I get to teach and share it with others,” said Wickens. “George Washington’s life and legacy provide wonderful entry points to help students understand the relevance of history in their own lives, especially in the arena of ethics, morality, and leadership.”

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Grinnell College in Iowa and a Master of Arts in history from the University of Colorado- Boulder. While at the University of Colorado, she also earned a certificate in museum studies.

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