Museum Planning is a Team Effort
Guy Hermann founded Museum Insights in 2008 after working for nine years as Director of Museum Planning for the museum architectural firm of Verner Johnson and Associates in Boston. He came to Verner Johnson after serving as a member of the senior staff at Mystic Seaport Museum, one of the country’s largest history museums, where he gained an in-depth understanding of every part of a museum’s operations.
Because he has worked extensively as both a museum professional and as a planning professional, Guy has an unmatched understanding of the broad range of issues that need to be addressed in planning for new museums and for museums undergoing significant transformations.
Guy leads all of Museum Insights' planning projects.
Guy's complete resume is available here.
Jo-Anne Crystoff brings a unique perspective to the museum planning process. Much of her past work involved sustainable development practices. In her five years with the Insights Group, she has taken on the research and documentation for most of our projects and has been an exceptionally empathic listener in our meetings with community members.
Jo-Anne is a graduate of Vassar College and holds a graduate certificate from Harvard in landscape design and a masters degree in environmental science and policy from Clark University.
Sara Zarelli joined Museum Insights in 2019 following positions with the National Park Service, The Trustees, and Historic New England. She has served as an interpreter and developed programs at a wide range of natural and cultural National Park units including as Lead Ranger at the John F. Kennedy National Historic Site and the Site Manager at the Old Manse. Sara holds a Bachelors degree from Carleton College and a Masters degree in History with certificates in Public History and Cultural Landscape Management from the University of Massachusetts.
Emma Winter Zeig is Museum Insights’ newest team member. She joins us following museum projects ranging from creating a slate of digital acitivites for Historic Northampton to exhibition work at the Smithsonian. She has experience experience working in curatorial, research, events, education, and front of house positions. Emma focused her undergraduate and graduate career on 18th century US history, writing a thesis based on maritime and diplomatic collections at the New York Historical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the Library of Congress.
Jacques Brunswick brings deep financial, operational, and business planning experience to the Museum Insights team. Jacques led Mystic Seaport Museum’s effort to create a new $30 million Program and Campus Master Plan. At the Apollo Theater, Jacques worked with Museum Insights to develop a Strategic Master Plan for the $115 million proposed Apollo Experience Museum. Most recently, he managed the planning for the conversion of a former church on the corner of Central Park West and 96th street in NYC into a new home for the the Manhattan Children’s Museum, a $145 million project.
Barbara Punt has over 25 years of experience managing major capital projects and the planning, development, and installation of museum exhibitions. She has a unique “insider/outsider” perspective from her years as a museum staff member working as an exhibit designer, project manager, and operations manager prior to becoming a consultant.
Barbara’s work focuses on the needs of start-up and expanding museums. Her expertise includes project management, selection processes, contract negotiation, and infrastructure requirements between exhibits and building design.
