The Trustees of the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, Florida are pleased to announce that Amanda H. Skier has been appointed to succeed John M. Blades as the Executive Director and CEO of the Museum. Ms. Skier will take the reins of the Flagler Museum February 4th, 2025.

Ms. Skier received her B.A. in American Studies at the George Washington University and her M.A. in Historic Preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design. In addition, she attended the University of Florida’s Preservation Institute: Nantucket, the nation’s oldest operating field school for historic preservation.

Prior to this appointment, Ms. Skier served for four years as the Education Director at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and for nearly nine years as its President and CEO.

During her tenure at the Preservation Foundation, Ms. Skier solidified its position as one of the leading advocacy and education organizations for historic preservation in the country.  Through community engagement and digital platforms, she has broadened awareness of the Foundation’s mission and championed local educational initiatives focusing on resiliency and landscape stewardship.  The Foundation’s archives have doubled in size under her leadership and informed six organization-led publications that further scholarship on Palm Beach.  She has also led two capital campaigns to revitalize historic parks on the island: Bradley Park and Phipps Ocean Park.  As the largest project in the organization’s history, Ms. Skier spearheaded the park’s design and approval, negotiated a long-term public/private partnership with the Town of Palm Beach, and raised almost $40 million for the project over the last three years.

Beyond her service to the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, Ms. Skier’s extensive experience in preservation includes serving on the University of Florida’s Historic Preservation Board of Advocates since 2017 and over a decade on the City of West Palm Beach Historic Preservation Board, where she has held the position of Chair since 2016. She has also previously served as a Trustee of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, as a Board Member of the El Cid Historic Neighborhood Association, and as a Board Director of the Delray Beach Preservation Trust.

John M. Blades served as the Flagler Museum’s Executive Director from 1995 until 2016 and again from 2022 until the present. From 2016 to 2022 Blades was Executive Director Emeritus, a title he will once again hold when Ms. Skier becomes the Executive Director & CEO in February.

The Flagler Museum’s President, Kelly M. Hopkins, expressed her excitement about the Ms. Skier’s appointment, saying “I think that Amanda is exceptionally qualified to lead the Museum as it continues to expand its programs and impact locally and nationally.  Blades added, “Amanda’s experience and education are indeed impressive and perfectly suited to lead the Museum into the future.”

About the Flagler Museum

When it was completed in 1902, Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was hailed by the New York Herald as “more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world.” Today, Whitehall is a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public as the Flagler Museum, featuring guided tours, changing exhibits, and special programs. The Museum is located at Cocoanut Row and Whitehall Way, Palm Beach.

The Flagler Museum is one of only four sites in the Nation to be awarded all three of the highest honors given to historic sites: designation as a National Historic Landmark, accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, and presentation of the Ross Merrill Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections.

The Museum is open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and noon until 5:00 pm on Sunday. Admission is $28 for adults, $14 for ages 6 – 12, and children under six are free.

The Flagler Museum is funded in part by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, the state of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture.

Photo Credit: Flagler Museum

Date Posted: December 13, 2024