Executive director emerita Mary Mountain is credited with overseeing the expansion Alice Hardie Stevens Center on the grounds of the Laramie Plains Museum at Historic Ivinson Mansion.
Executive director emerita Mary Mountain is credited with overseeing the expansion Alice Hardie Stevens Center on the grounds of the Laramie Plains Museum at Historic Ivinson Mansion.
The Laramie Plains Museum at the Historic Ivinson Mansion has awarded two of its previous executive directors with emeritus status.
Daniel Nelson, museum executive director from 1988 to 2005, and Mary Mountain, executive director from 2005 to 2022, were given the honors by the board of directors at the organization’s annual gala in August.
Nelson and Mountain were saluted and presented with certificates announcing their designations as executive director emeritus and executive director emerita, respectively.
The honors were announced by the organization’s board of directors, Matthew Blakeman, the current executive director, said.
Nelson, a social studies teacher at Laramie Middle School, was selected as the executive director of the museum in 1988. His position as a teacher led to the junior docent program when he invited middle school students to serve as junior docents at the museum in the summer months of the year.
Under Nelson, with financial support of the Laramie Woman’s Club, the Jack and Pat Guthrie family, and many other organizations and individuals a complete renovation of the Ivinson mansion was begun. The mansion’s first exterior re-painting was also initiated.
Mountain originally served on the museum’s board of directors from 1999-2000 and then accepted an appointment as Nelson’s administrative assistant. In this role, she opened and stocked the museum’s first gift shop.
Upon Nelson’s retirement at the end of 2005, Mountain was selected as the new executive director. During her tenure the mansion restoration continued, finishing all the public rooms.
She then directed her energy to enlarge and upgrade the restroom facilities and kitchen space in the Alice Hardie Stevens Center while adding a new, separate bridal dressing suite.
Her next major effort was raising funds and support for the acquisition and renovation of properties at 609 and 611 University Avenue in Laramie. The 609 residence was converted into office space for museum staff.
The 611 two-story stone building was originally a livery stable which had been converted into student apartments. With the help of many volunteers and financial donors, this structure was converted into two loft apartments which provide income for museum operations.
Mountain oversaw the 2017-2018 expansion of the Alice Hardie Stevens Center. The site now offers a multi-purpose venue for meetings, theater productions, funeral services, parties and nonprofit fundraising events.
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