PRESS RELEASE

Umatilla County Historical Society Hires New Executive Director

PENDLETON, OR August 1, 2024 – Umatilla County Historical Society, celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2024, has recently hired a new Executive Director.

The Umatilla County Historical Society and Heritage Station Museum is excited to announce Shannon Gruenhagen has been hired as the Executive Director. She steps into the role on August 1st.

Shannon has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in Anthropology. Her previous role as Programming and Education Coordinator for the last 5 years has helped Shannon grow her knowledge of Umatilla County, the people, and the places that make up this wonderful and diverse area. She has a natural curiosity that drives her desire to learn more about the county she has lived in for 25 years. Shannon has invited and led many tour groups, elementary school field trips and small groups through the Heritage Station Museum and grounds, sharing the information and hoping to spark a love of history and preservation of that history in others.

The Board of Directors for Umatilla County Historical Society is looking forward to working with Shannon in the role of Executive Director. Vice President of the Board, Gail Nelson stated, “Shannon’s demonstrated commitment and loyalty to Heritage Station Museum and the Umatilla County Historical Society is greatly valued. How fortunate we are to have her dedication and enthusiasm! We are excited to work with her to continue to strengthen, grow and diversify the Historical Society and Heritage Station Museum.”

Please welcome Shannon as the new Executive Director.

Umatilla County Historical Society and Heritage Station Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. You can find the Heritage Station Museum located at 108 SW Frazer Ave. in Pendleton, Oregon. Visit the Museum Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for schedules, activities, and events. Show your support by becoming a member of the Umatilla County Historical Society and help to continue to Tell the Story. Facilities and Grounds are available to rent to host your next event or gathering.

www.heritagestationmuseum.org

(541) 276-0012

director@heritaestationmuseum.org Facebook: @heritagestationmuseum Instagram: @heritagestationpendleton

It’s that time of year when we wind down for the winter and give the museum some TLC. The museum’s last day open for 2023 will be December 16^th. We will reopen in March (date TBD) 2024.

During the closure we do a deep clean, exhibit maintenance and installation, and we do maintenance on the buildings and equipment. It is also a time for us to plan the upcoming year and ensure that we are providing the best possible experience for our members and visitors.

If you need to reach the historical society, our staff are in the building, and we do answer phone calls and emails. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have questions or research requests.

Do you love the lights at Heritage Station? Each year the walk-through continues to grow and that means we need help installing lights. If you are interested in being a part of the team that puts the lights up, then you are in luck as we currently have a need for helpers.

Lights begin to go up in October and continue through November, we currently have Three Saturdays planned (weather permitting) to install lights. We also have projects that can be worked on during the week for those who want to be involved but have no weekend availability.

We do ask that helpers be over the age of 18 and we would love it if you could commit to helping for several years. Our goal is to create a team of people who are willing to learn the process and return each year which would allow us to add new features in future years.

Heritage Lights is a fun FREE event for our community.

Follow the link below to sign up as a helper! If you have questions, feel free to contact Shannon at 541-276-0012 or by email shannong@heritagestationmuseum.org

Sign Up Form

The museum will be closed for winter maintenance from December 24th through the end of February. Historical Society staff will be in the office and available Monday – Friday 10am  to 4pm.