Rebranding

In 2016, Jane Eliasof led the 52-year-old Montclair Historical Society through a rebranding as the Montclair History Center, with the tagline “Museums. Archives. Microfarm.” The new name went live on January 1, 2017, with a new website, brochures, social media, signage, and business systems. The new branding reflected the changes the organization had made in the previous six years – reinterpreting one of its sites to tell a more inclusive history, welcoming a community farm to its property, making its archives more accessible, and offering innovative programs targeted to a variety of audiences. As one new member said shortly after the rebranding, “I could never have seen myself joining a historical society, but I did join a history center.” As there were few resources available on rebranding a small historic museum, Eliasof relied extensively on experience she had gained in over 25 years of marketing for the pharmaceutical industry. As the Executive Director of the Montclair History Center, Eliasof applies her experience in strategic planning, marketing, and educational program development for healthcare organizations to history museums and historic preservation. She has written many articles related to history and is frequent presenter at state, regional, and national conferences on creating a more inclusive museum experience. She co-wrote “Chapter 18: Reflecting Race and Ethnicity in House Museums” for Rowman & Littlefield’s Reimagining Historic House Museums. Eliasof holds a Bachelor of Arts from Drew University, Madison, NJ and a Certificate in Historic Preservation (a multifaceted Professional Certificate program on historic preservation covering four areas of concentration: theory and practice, architectural history/history, planning, conservation) also from Drew University.