TWAIN HOUSE EMBARKS ON NATIONAL SEARCH

FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 October 30, 2024, Hartford, CT – Today, the Mark Twain House & Museum is announcing the formation of a Search Committee to select its next Executive Director.

The Committee is comprised of seven trustees of the House, including Committee co-chairs Tim Matson and David Jimenez, Board chairman Hans Miller and Board vice-chair Ted Whittemore. The Committee will hire a consulting firm that specializes in non-profit executive searches.

MTH&M is also announcing the selection of Jack Sennott to serve as interim Executive Director for the next six months. Mr. Sennott has deep experience working with, and in, the arts and culture, non-profit, and educational fields. Mr. Sennott has served as Chair of the Board of the Hartford Stage Company, as a trustee of the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center, and as a Chair of the Simsbury Board of Education.

In addition, Mr. Sennott had a 35-year career as an insurance and finance executive, with a track record of successful business growth, entrepreneurship, job creation, capital allocation and board stewardship. Most recently, he served as Chairman, CEO and President of CapSpecialty Insurance Co., a leading specialty insurance provider, and prior to that position, served as SVP and Chief Financial Officer of Allegheny Corporation.

Mr. Sennott succeeds Michael L. Campbell as Interim Executive Director. Mr. Campbell has served in the role since December 2023.

Hans Miller, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said “This is an exciting time for The Mark Twain House as we embark on a search for our next Executive Director. In the meantime, I would like to thank Michael for his exceptional past service as COO and most recently as Interim Executive Director. We also welcome Jack Sennott to the Interim role and are grateful that someone with his background in both business and the arts will be providing vital leadership for the next few months.”

The Search Committee expects to name the House’s new Executive Director during the second quarter of 2025.

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About The Mark Twain House & Museum

The Mark Twain House & Museum is the restored Hartford, Connecticut home where American author Samuel Clemens – Mark Twain – and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Twain wrote his most important works, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, during the years he lived there. The Museum offers tours of the restored Mark Twain House, along with a variety of programs that celebrate and promote Twain’s literary legacy.

For general information about the Mark Twain House, please visit:

www.marktwainhouse.org.

For further information please contact: Hans Miller, Chair of the Board of Trustees, at

hans.miller@marktwainhouse.org or 860-997-9916.