Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

Cheryl Reichelt is celebrating 10 years as the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center director.

According to Reichelt, she came from Great Falls, Montana, where she was a finance manager for the Russell Museum.

She said, "My sister, Reba, and I took our first sisters' trip together in January 2005. I jokingly told her to help me find a job in Worland and I would move here. Her daughters had graduated and moved on and my son would graduate that spring." Within about 2 weeks, Dan Scheuerman mentioned to Reichelt's sister that they were looking for someone to come in and run the museum. Reichelt said her sister told Scheuerman that she had a candidate and called her.

"I came here and interviewed twice and was hired in March (2005). I could not move here until August until my son graduated high school and finished baseball for the summer. The board of directors said they would wait. So here I am, and it has been a fun-filled and hectic 10 years, but I wouldn't trade any of it to live and work anywhere else," Reichelt said.

According to the Washakie Museum website, washakiemuseum.org, "In March 1984, numerous community members felt strongly that a cultural center and museum was needed in the Big Horn Basin, and they banded together to secure funding on a building. After being turned down for funding by both the county and city, these private citizens began a fund drive to raise $40,000 for the purchase of the building. After meeting this goal, the committee sold the building to the county for only $10, for the purpose of a Museum and Cultural Center."

Reichelt was a part of the Washakie Museum's move from the corner of Obie Sue and 12th Street to their current location at 2200 Big Horn Avenue. The museum opened in the new building in May 2010.

She said, "It was a wonderful opportunity. The Newell B. Sargent Foundation donated the funds to build our new Museum and Cultural Center and many other people helped make it possible. I played a large part in helping with the move, I sat in on development meetings, but the community was the biggest part of the project. It was a lot of work and we are very fortunate."

Reichelt said, "My plans are to grow the museum. We are working hard to help people realize we're not a county museum, we represent the Big Horn Basin. We are working to reach out to other surrounding communities. We are also working to develop more family programs including exhibits."

"This celebration of my 10-year anniversary should not just be about me. I, by myself, could have done nothing. Without the support (and I can't begin to mention all by name) of my sister and brother-in-law, Reba and Gordon Neumann, The museum's board of directors and staff, and all of the community who gave money, bought tickets, volunteered, loaned and donated items and artifacts for exhibits, were cast, directors, and support people for musicals and plays, and everyone who supported what the museum has done, there would be no celebration. I want to thank the entire community for making the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center a huge success and giving me a "dream" position as executive director. I am truly blessed."

The Washakie Museum Board of Directors is holding a celebration in Reichelt's honor for all members of the museum, volunteers and staff.

The celebration will be from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 at the museum.