Board hears STEPS self-assessment progress; curator candidate eyed and master plan linked to accreditation push

Farmers Branch Historic Park staff updated the Historical Preservation and Restoration Board on progress through the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) STEPS self-assessment and next steps toward formal museum accreditation.

Speaker 4 outlined that the STEPS program breaks work into six chapters — mission/vision/governance; audience and community engagement; interpretation; stewardship of collections; stewardship of historic structures and landscapes; and management. The park has achieved silver or gold in several sections (mission/vision/governance: silver/gold; interpretation: gold; stewardship of collections: not submitted pending curator hire) and noted management remains at bronze. Speaker 4 said a curator candidate is in paperwork and is expected to begin around mid-December; the curator will participate in the STEPS process and collection work.

Speaker 4 said completing STEPS does not itself confer accreditation but prepares the park for the longer review by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), which takes multiple years and periodic reapplication. The board discussed prioritizing a comprehensive master plan that will fold in preservation plans and historic-structure reports; staff said the master plan work is in the fiscal-year strategic goals and consultants will be solicited via bids.

Speaker 3 asked whether STEPS certificates require renewal; Speaker 4 said STEPS completion generally endures, while AAM accreditation requires reapplication about every 10 years. Board members asked how the board can support the work; staff said the board will be engaged during the consultant phase, in focus groups, and in public feedback exercises when the master plan work begins.

Next steps: staff will solicit consultant bids for the master plan, finalize the curator hire, and continue work on STEPS modules to prepare for an eventual AAM accreditation application.