Sarah Mickens has been appointed as the new executive director of the Ducktown Basin Museum.
Mickens assumed her duties Thursday, January 2. “I am excited about this new chapter in my life,” said Mickens. “I am sad to say that I will no longer be working with Fannin County Chamber of Commerce but will maintain a strong partnership with them for our region.”
Museum board president Leland Rymer said, “We expected the search for a new director to take some time. Instead, we discovered that the person we needed was already right here in our own community. In fact, she always has been.”
Mickens replaces the museum’s longtime director and curator Ken Rush. Rush’s last day at the museum was December 31, 2019.
Mickens, a 1995 graduate of Copper Basin High School, left her employment with the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce as the manager of the McCaysville Visitor’s Center. Aside from her work at the chamber, she has six years of nonprofit experience, holding various positions with the Georgia Green Industry Association based out of Blue Ridge.
“I’ve known Sarah since she first came to the McCaysville Visitors Center,” said museum board member Harriet Frye. “What has always impressed me about her is her genuine enthusiasm for the well-being of our whole community, combined with a work ethic that would put many of us to shame.
“But it wasn’t until I saw her resume that I realized how many other organizational and management skills she brings to her new job. In addition to all that, she’s also a Basin native who cares deeply about our local history and heritage. Which is a very, very big thing with me.”
Mickens said, “I am looking forward to helping Ducktown Basin Museum thrive for decades to come with my passion for our community.”