Bruce Jacobson has been brought on board to oversee operations of The History Trust, and to help guide the collaborative into its next stages as a nonprofit organization. One crucial responsibility of his six-month contract is coordinating work between Trust members and AvantLogic Corp. of Southwest Harbor, which has created a searchable online database for images and information about people, places, and events in our island communities.
Mount Desert Island has been Bruce’s home base for 36 years, first working with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, then the National Park Service, and now as a consultant to nonprofits. His colleagues know him for focused collaboration, and for building and sustaining diverse programs with local communities, boards of directors, volunteers, and professionals in diverse disciplines. “Power of place is central to my personal and professional philosophy,” stated Jacobson, “and I am excited to help Trust member organizations work together to share the people and places we call home.”
The History Trust is a collective of 11 institutions formed through community discussions about ways to work together to improve collections care, enhance digital and physical access, and engage the public. Funding for development of the Trust’s digital archive and for Jacobson’s management contract is provided by the Charles Butt Foundation and other private donors.
