Shepherd Lane + Associates Curates World-Class Expertise for Museums, Nonprofits

Former high-school friends complement skill sets to exhibit masterful outcomes for clients

BEND, Ore. and TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From high school halls to museum walls, leadership at Shepherd Lane + Associates is leveraging their long history of collaborating to achieve success on behalf of their clients. Longtime friends who met as students 35 years ago at Countryside High School in Clearwater, Florida, Kristen Shepherd and Veronica Lane have now joined forces in the business world to create a new partnership to take art museums and nonprofit organizations to the next level.

The newly formed Shepherd Lane + Associates provides consulting, project management training, media and public speaking training, and interim leadership services to museums and mission-driven organizations. Current museum clients include the Honolulu Museum of Art, San Antonio Museum of Art, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, among others.

"Meeting the challenges facing museums today requires strategic thinking, greater transparency and practical training," said Shepherd. "Museum work is a lot like theater in the sense that you are putting on a 'show.' An exhibition often is years in the making with numerous projects, layers and players. That's the public side. But there is so much happening behind the scenes, from caring for the collection and encouraging community support, to ensuring a welcoming and engaging visitor experience, to creating strategic plans and promoting sound financial management. Museum leaders today need strong business skills and management training, which includes project management. I have long admired Veronica's skills in project management, and it is a joy to have such a meticulous, enthusiastic, and seasoned pro complementing the work I am doing with our clients."

Prior to launching Shepherd Lane + Associates, Shepherd was Executive Director and CEO for the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida and served as a Trustee of the Association of Art Museum Directors. Her career spans more than 25 years with experience in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Starting in New York and London at Sotheby's auction house with roles in finance, strategic planning and special projects for 10 years, she then moved into the nonprofit museum world in 2008. From lead positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, she honed her skills as an authority on museum membership, audience strategy and visitor experience.

A new resident of Bend, Oregon, Shepherd offers her clients the holistic perspective of a former CEO and museum director. Her services include consulting, coaching, and interim leadership services in several areas of museum operations. In the museum industry, she is known as a collaborative, supportive partner and thought leader. She activates her exceptional professional background in both business and nonprofit management to help nonprofits build and support teams across disciplines.

"I always had the sense that Kristen and I would stay in touch and do something in our work lives that made us happy and played to our strengths," said Lane. "Kristen is the consummate professional and her contacts in the museum world run deep. Truly, it's a dream come true to be collaborating with someone I have always respected and enjoyed so much for so many years! My inspiration comes from getting teams excited about learning a new approach to their work and infusing all my projects with energy, interaction and a sense of fun. Strong project management skills keep teams engaged and projects on track – an efficient and effective roadmap to success. Training in this area is a valuable professional development opportunity for current and future nonprofit leaders."

Now based in Tampa, Florida, much of Lane's early career was spent excelling in private label credit cards and mortgage services. She spent 19 years at HSBC where she served as Assistant Vice President of Project Management. She was instrumental in creating the project management office for the Enterprise Business Solutions arm of Mortgage Services, coordinating cross-functional teams of 50+ system development professionals within a Matrix culture.

Prior to launching Shepherd Lane + Associates, Lane started her own consulting practice in 2015 and has facilitated training and support in project management for corporate, government and academic clients. She now collaborates with Shepherd to offer project management consulting and training services through a comprehensive suite of tools and knowledge that drive success. From detailed strategy-based planning to empowered execution, Lane ensures that teams excel, focusing on bringing value to her clients' organizations.

Also, under the Shepherd Lane + Associates umbrella, award-winning actress and acting coach Kathleen Hogan supplements the team's offerings with public speaking, presentation, and media skills training. An Atlanta resident, she provides one-on-one or group coaching for museum professionals with an innovative, exciting, and fun process that she has developed over three decades.

"Public speaking is such an important part of any executive's role," stated Hogan. "I am committed to helping our clients communicate the museum's mission to the public with clarity – leaving nerves and anxiety behind that they may have experienced in the past."

Whether you are presenting in person to donors or participating in on-camera interviews with local media, Hogan trains museum executives and staff to speak with confidence and authenticity.

"Our goal is to use our collective decades of professional experience to amplify our clients' missions and propel them forward," concluded Shepherd. "With world-class expertise, we really are poised to support museums and other nonprofits in such a unique way."

For more information on Shepherd Lane + Associates, visit shepherdlane.com.

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Contact: Kelly Husak, Slatkow & Husak PR
561.281.1450 or [email protected]

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