Aurora fire museum looking for more diversity

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum has been selected by the American Alliance of Museums to participate in "Facing Change: Advancing Museum Board Diversity & Inclusion."

The national initiative to diversify museum boards and leadership is taking place across five U.S. cities and includes a cross-section of museums of all types and sizes.

Backed by $4 million in grants from three foundations (The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Alice L. Walton Foundation, and Ford Foundation), Facing Change will provide the framework, training and resources for museum leaders to build inclusive cultures within their institutions that more accurately reflect the communities they serve.

"Building a more inclusive museum field is achievable only with museum trustees and leaders committed to long-term change and improvement," Laura Lott, president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums, said. "Museum boards, in particular, set the tone for their institutions and are well positioned to be agents of change."

"Over the last several years our staff and board have actively sought to increase our community engagement," said Brian Failing, executive director of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum.

"We are committed to being more inclusive and representative of the community we serve. We look forward to learning all we can from Facing Change to help lead our museum and board into the future."

Earlier this year, as part of the Facing Change initiative, AAM announced an Excellence in DEAI Task Force charged with developing recommendations to embed diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion more deeply into AAM's excellence programs.

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum preserves the history of the Aurora Fire Department and fire service in the region through its collections and exhibits while educating visitors about fire safety and prevention. The museum welcomes more than 10,000 visitors annually for tours, programs and events.

For details about the museum, visit www.aurorregionalfiremuseum.org or call Failing at (630) 256-4140.