Holmes County Curator Leads Global Regional Museums Committee

Kenny Libben, curator of the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum in Holmes County, was elected chair of the International Committee for Regional Museums at the International Council of Museums conference in Dubai on December 24, 2025. The committee represents more than 1,700 voting members and serves as a global forum for museums that interpret local and regional histories. Libben moves from his prior role as secretary of the committee into a position that will shape priorities across regional museums worldwide.

Libben brings a record of national and international collaboration to the chairmanship. He has spoken and worked with the American Alliance of Museums and the American Association for State and Local History, and he has partnered with museum professionals overseas. His professional honors include the Hunter Burley Award, the Ohio Local History Alliance Outstanding Individual Achievement Award, and the Ohio Museum Association Best Exhibition Award, recognition that reflects long term commitment to museum practice and community engagement.

For Holmes County the election raises practical opportunities. A local curator leading an international committee can help attract partnerships, professional development, and exhibition collaborations that benefit the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum and area organizations. Stronger ties to global peers can open access to best practices, grant opportunities, and cooperative programming that enrich local interpretation of Holmes County history and culture.

Libben has identified accessibility, transparency, and collaboration as core priorities for his term. Those priorities intersect with public health and social equity concerns in tangible ways. When museums increase accessibility and inclusive programming, they contribute to social connection, lifelong learning, and mental wellbeing. Greater transparency and collaborative networks can help small institutions serve diverse audiences more effectively, and can direct resources to communities that have been historically underrepresented in cultural institutions.

As chair of the committee, Libben will lead efforts to strengthen connections among regional museums, promote equitable access to collections and programming, and foster international exchange of ideas. For residents of Holmes County, his new role underscores the local value of sustaining the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum as a community resource for history, education, and civic wellbeing.