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New Executive Director
qMAS' New Executive Director: William Adams
In March, we welcomed William Adams to the qMAS team as Executive Director. A little bit
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about William... born and raised on Vancouver Island, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Medieval Studies from the University of Victoria and a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Public History from Simon Fraser University. William completed his public history internship at the Irish Antiquities Division of the National Museum of Ireland in 1996.
Over the last twenty-six years, William has worked at several museums and historic sites throughout British Columbia. In the year 2000, he went back to university and completed a Bachelor of Business Administration in Public Sector Management through Thompson Rivers University, on a part-time basis over nine years. Moreover, three years ago he went onto complete a Professional Specialization Certificate in Collections Management through the University of Victoria.
William pictured in front of Billy Goat Smith's Cabin at the qathet Museum & Archives, May 2022.
Travel is one of William's major avocational interests. He enjoys learning about the history and culture of the place where he is visiting. This means that museums and historic sites are at always at the top of his itinerary. From a professional context, William finds it interesting to see how other museums and historic sites creatively utilize various modes of interpretation and exhibition.
One of William's most memorable museum exhibition experiences occurred when he visited the shipwreck exhibition at the Museum of Geraldton in Western Australia, in the early 1990s. Just prior to his visit, William had been coincidently reading Islands of Angry Ghosts (1966) by Hugh Edwards, a non-fiction account of the maritime archaeology expedition that discovered the wreck of the Batavia, a Dutch East Indiaman, and retelling of the story of this shipwreck and the subsequent mutiny in 1629. Indeed, the in-depth story told in this book in combination with the exhibit panels and the many artifacts from the Batavia shipwreck and other shipwrecks that were on display made this shipwreck exhibition extraordinarily meaningful for William. This exhibition fostered his lifelong interest in maritime archaeology. Moreover, this shipwreck exhibition inspired William to complete training in both scuba diving and underwater archaeology.
Summer Positions at the Museum
Interpretive Guide
The Interpretive Guide will work with the public, assisting with the development and delivery of museum programs throughout the summer months. They will orient visitors to the qathet Museum and Archives and lead historical walking tours in a fun, engaging and educational manner. They will also assist in the delivery of “Hands-On History ” summer camps and our new “Museum in the Park” program. Moreover, the Interpretive Guide will create an educational pop-up museum kit for use at community events.
Compensation: $17.00 per hour
Application deadline: 05/24/2022
Research Support Officer
The Interpretive Guide will work with the public, assisting with the development and delivery of museum programs throughout the summer months. They will orient visitors to the qathet Museum and Archives and lead historical walking tours in a fun, engaging and educational manner. They will also assist in the delivery of “Hands-On History ” summer camps and our new “Museum in the Park” program. Moreover, the Interpretive Guide will create an educational pop-up museum kit for use at community events.
Compensation: $17.00 per hour
Application deadline: 05/24/2022
