Perry Shaffer
Milwaukee,WI
Summary
I am a creative and driven professional with over a decade of operations and executive experience, as well as a strong academic and professional background in Museum design and program. Building and strengthening community through the Museum experience- through learning, touching, playing, wondering, and exploring, is the most profound way I can express my talents and experience. I am an energetic and engaging person with a flair for stakeholder relations, and deeply enjoy fostering a sense of openness, honesty, and connection with coworkers and partners, leading to better creation of ideas and strategies. I am adventurous, and when presented with a new challenge I thrive on puzzling out the solution as thoroughly as possible. While museums have always been my first love, I have found joy in working across many passions, including teaching beginners and infant swim lessons, leading horseback riding camps and trail rides as a certified equestrian trainer, and time as a volunteer teacher’s aide in a kindergarten classroom. I have spent time volunteering with the YWCA Evanston, Evanston Animal Shelter, Women Employed, and several political campaigns. I have attended trainings with Showing Up for Racial Justice, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, No Way to Treat a Child (Defense for Children International), and My Block My Hood My City. Professional and Academic references available upon request.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Projects Assistant
Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee, WI
01.2022 - Current
- Serves as primary administrative coordinator for the Milwaukee Public Museum’s $260M Future Museum capital project, reporting to the Chief Planning Officer and CEO
- Facilitates meetings with architecture, exhibits, construction, and engineering teams concerning the Future Museum Project and acts as liaison between Project vendors and Museum Leadership and Staff
- Coordinates and runs workshops for internal and external stakeholders to generate input and involvement throughout the design and construction phase
- Champions the integrity of the Museum’s core values and mission throughout the Project to ensure outcomes align with intended purpose and programming
- Assists with the implementation and ongoing efforts of the internal Museum Activation Team to align operational needs with the Project timeline
- Monitors Project status on schedule, budget, and progress, and updates Museum leadership and Project stakeholders on upcoming milestones and challenges
- Organization of all Project documentation and management of shared project drives amongst Museum Staff and external partners and vendors
- Develops and participates in RFP and onboarding processes for Project vendors
- Coordinates communications with the MPM Board of Directors, HHM (Developer) Board of Directors, and WMNC (Future Museum) Board of Directors: scheduling meetings, taking minutes, collating and distributing relevant Board materials, onboarding new Directors, and acting as a liaison between the Boards and Museum Leadership
- Represents the Future Museum Project at public functions, conferences, and events within the community and the industry, as well as in meetings with public and government officials
Executive Assistant
Illinois Holocaust Museum
Skokie, IL
07.2021 - 01.2022
- Managed the daily schedule of the Museum’s CEO, including internal and external meetings, speaking engagements, VIP Museum visitors, and conferences
- Monitored all email and phone correspondence for the CEO, prioritizing communications, drafting emails, and streamlining inbox management
- Collaborated across all departments of the Museum, assisting department heads on long term Museum initiatives and helping staff with any immediate needs on projects and events
- Coordinated communications with the Museum Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, scheduling meetings, taking minutes, collating and distributing relevant Museum materials, and acting as a liaison between the Boards and the CEO and Museum staff
- Represented the CEO and the Museum at public functions, conferences, and events within the community and the industry, as well as in meetings with public and government officials
- Drafted and edited Museum materials such as capital project decks, financial updates, brochures and newsletters, and grant proposals
Clinic Coordinator
Playworks Therapy, Inc
Chicago, IL
06.2016 - 06.2021
- Managed the daily operations of the clinic, including client relations, appointment scheduling, and facility maintenance
- Oversaw and implemented employee benefits programs, payroll, business expenses and utilities, and income reconciliation for the company
- Executed private client billing, including tracking and reconciling all insurance payment (upwards of $1mil annual volume), invoicing clients for services rendered (300+ clients monthly), and balancing all client accounts
- Facilitated community engagement, provider and vendor partnerships, and online targeted marketing for the company
- Coordinated hiring processes, including reviewing all clinical and administrative applicants, scheduling and conducting interviews, drafting job descriptions and offers of employment, and onboarding new employees
- Planned and coordinated company events, including scheduling, booking venues, and collaborating with vendors
- Key contributing team member in several company-wide improvements including the transition to paperless systems, optimizing file sharing, and enhancing appointment scheduling
- Provided administrative support for the company through massive growth, including more than doubling the number of employed staff and moving to a new facility with a 300% increased capacity
Administrative and Research Assistant
Sylver Consulting
Evanston, IL
06.2014 - 06.2016
- Acted as a channel of communication and executive intermediary for the President and Vice President of the firm, managing a diverse list of Fortune 500 clients
- Acted as a direct line of contact for the company, managed email communication with vendors, partners, and clients, and developed the company's website and social media
- Managed all calendars, scheduling, and booking for team meetings, client appointments, travel, and team projects
- Organized and presented all expenses for offsite client trainings, meetings, and workshops
- Engaged actively in qualitative research projects, including analyzing and tabulating data, managing participant message boards, conducting secondary research, and assisting with facilitation and recording of client workshops, interviews, and focus groups
- Implemented new strategies for business development, including creation of a client outreach database and establishment of a process for the creation of and follow-up on pitches for new partners
Education
Bachelor of Science - Anthropology
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL08-2019
Skills
- Proficient with Mac and PC systems, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, BoardEffect, QuickBooks, Billcom, Square, Zoom, and Slack
- Excellent written communication and data organization
- Design development and project planning
- Board of Directors relationships, including management of Open Records law
- Travel and event coordination and expensing
- Public speaking and presentations
- Schedule management
- Discretion and handling of confidential and proprietary information
Timeline
Executive Projects Assistant
Milwaukee Public Museum
01.2022 - Current
Executive Assistant
Illinois Holocaust Museum
07.2021 - 01.2022
Clinic Coordinator
Playworks Therapy, Inc
06.2016 - 06.2021
Administrative and Research Assistant
Sylver Consulting
06.2014 - 06.2016
Bachelor of Science - Anthropology
Northwestern University