SHEBOYGAN, Wis.
– Brett Lobello, a former longtime Wisconsin resident and experienced museum leader with an emphasis on education, curation and developing exhibits, has been named executive director of the Sheboygan County Museum.
Lobello, who was hired following a national search, will manage all facets of the day-to-day operations of the museum, located at 3110 Erie Ave., and lead the talented team of museum professionals as the 100-year-old organization enters its next century.
“We are excited to welcome Brett and look forward to his leadership as we continue to evolve and tell the stories that make Sheboygan County such a great place to live, work and visit,” said William Moir, a museum board member who served as chair of the executive director search committee.
“As we enter our next 100 years, we will continue to proudly champion local history by taking a more holistic approach through a revised strategic vision that will develop exhibits and programs that bring light to our always changing community.”
Lobello comes to Sheboygan County from Colorado where he has served as director of regional history and genealogy at the Pikes Peak Library District since 2018, part of a 15-year career, in which he was involved in all aspects of museum operations.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to lead the Sheboygan County Museum and to get back to my Wisconsin roots,” Lobello said. “As a historian, I believe people and their stories are the foundation of a community, and I am thrilled to become a part of yours. I look forward to leading this organization as we move forward in sharing and preserving the rich history of Sheboygan County.”
In his role at the Pikes Peak Library District, Lobello was responsible for the preservation, access, and use of a diverse local history archive, as well as expanding the archive’s reach as a community resource across the 15-library district.
Prior to that role, he served for three years as deputy director at Brucemore, a history site and cultural center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on 26 acres that included seven historic structures, including an 1886 mansion.
He has also served as curator of education for the Kenosha Museum System in Kenosha, Wis., tour guide and volunteer manager for the Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, N.C., and assistant curator of education for the Logan Museum of Anthropology at Beloit College in Beloit, Wis.
He received a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis., and a master of arts in public history and a museum studies certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Lobello has an extensive record of service in the communities in which he has lived. He has served on several local boards, is a member of the American Association of State and Local History and was a grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Humanities.