Nancy Dempze
Board Chair
On behalf of Manomet’s Board of Trustees, I am pleased to welcome Dr. David W. Ellis as Manomet’s interim president. Ellis joined Manomet on January 1, 2020, and will lead Manomet until a new president takes the helm. Ellis brings decades of experience in the academic and non-profit sectors and is a well-respected leader. His background in science, as well as his considerable experience with non-profit administration, will ensure that Manomet’s critical work will not skip a beat.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Ellis, a chemist by training, has served in a variety of positions in higher education and with museums, including as President and Director of the Museum of Science, Boston, and President of Lafayette College. In recent years, Ellis has also served as Interim Executive Director of the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Berkshire Museum, Interim President of the Boston Children’s Museum, and as a Senior Fellow with The Boston Foundation.
Dr. Ellis is an arbitrator for Financial Industry National Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and has consulted for many years, including 15 years in Brazil. His current board service includes the Conservation Law Foundation (vice-chair), the Forsyth Institute (vice-chair), and The Caterpillar Laboratory. He has served on many boards including the American Alliance of Museums, Boston 4 Celebrations Foundation, and the MIT Museum. Dr. Ellis served as Chair of the Board of Elderhostel (now Road Scholar), Chair of the Board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and as a Member and Chair of the Directorate on Education and Human Resources of the National Science Foundation.
On behalf of the Board and especially the search committee (Barbara McMillan, Dave Bryan, Michael Taubenberger, Larry Selzer, and Dwight DeMay), I want to express our appreciation for your support through this important transition. We are excited about the future of Manomet and look forward to our continued success and impact.