OMA Award Spotlight - Liz Schultz

Recognizing excellence in Ohio museums during Arts and Humanities Month

To help celebrate October as Arts and Humanities Month, and to kick-off the call for nominations for this year's OMA awards, we'll be highlighting our 2024 OMA Award of Achievement winners throughout the month with our OMA Award Spotlight. We are featuring these Award Winner Spotlights during Arts and Humanities Month to help champion the amazing projects, programs and professionals that make Ohio's museum community strong.

The Awards of Achievement are presented to reflect the outstanding quality and caliber of work by Ohio museums and their professionals in two categories: Institutional Achievement Awards and Individual Achievement Awards.

Nominations for these awards are incredibly detailed. This in-depth process helps to illustrate how these institutions and individuals have gone “above and beyond” the normal call of duty to support their institution, serve their public and advance the cause of the museum community.

Each year, the review panel is overwhelmed by the outstanding projects, innovative programming and dedication to our field as exhibited in each of the institutional and individual nominations. Congratulations again to each of our 2024 award winners! 

Today, we're featuring the recipient of the 2024 award for Professional of the Year.

Liz Schultz - Oberlin Heritage Center

Liz Schultz’s thoughtful and unassuming leadership style fosters a collaborative culture at the Oberlin Heritage Center that prioritizes community and inclusivity.

Liz has been an ambassador for local history and museums for nearly two decades. During her time as the Center’s first Museum Education & Tour Coordinator, she championed numerous award-winning initiatives, including the development of an Oberlin history comic book, which won both Ohio Local History Alliance History and OMA Awards in 2012, as well as OHC’s youth summer camps, which also received an OLHA History Outreach Award.

2025 will mark the 10th Anniversary of Liz’s Executive Directorship, and the organizational milestones under her leadership reflect a passion for education, preservation, sustainability, inclusivity, and community engagement. During her first ten years as Executive Director, she launched dynamic new signature events such as Trivia Night and Root Beer & Yesteryear, which has grown into a highly attended and anticipated annual community event, shepherded two ambitious strategic plans, ensured effective oversight of OHC’s subsidiaries, and achieved American Alliance of Museums Reaccreditation for the Center in 2020.

Her drive to share under-told stories and practice “nothing about us without us” has led to OHC deepening its connections with diverse and marginalized groups in the area, and this dedication has only added to the museum’s authenticity and relevance. A prime example of this is the growth of the Oberlin Oral History project, an ambitious initiative that Liz has led OHC, its staff, and volunteers through.

Liz continues to cultivate meaningful partnerships within Oberlin including with the local retirement community, college, library, and churches. These partnerships actively support the initiatives and uplift the missions of civic organizations such as the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee, local NAACP chapters, and the Friends of Westwood Cemetery.

As her staff noted, “Through her dedication and vision, Liz Schultz embodies the principles of leadership and service in her profound contributions to the Oberlin Heritage Center, the broader historical and museum field, and local communities.

“Liz’s tireless energy and drive to positively contribute to Oberlin is unmatched, her passion for history is infectious, and as Executive Director, her creativity and resourcefulness supports the sustainable growth and forward-thinking nature of the organization.”

Do you know someone who exudes outstanding leadership and professionalism, whose work leads to the continual growth and development of their organization? Be sure to nominate them for the 2025 award for Professional of the Year! Learn more here.