The Disciples of Christ Historical Society is pleased to announce Colleen McFarland Rademaker as the Society’s Senior Archivist. Colleen has over twenty years of experience managing archives, special collections, and information governance for colleges, universities, religious organizations, and museums.
She is passionate about facilitating relationships across time between contemporary researchers and the creators and subjects of historical records. Prior to joining the Historical Society, Colleen was Chief Archivist at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. She previously served as Manager of Archives and Special Collections for the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, as well as the Director of Archives and Records Management for the Mennonite Church USA. In these roles, she drew upon her deep commitment to standards-based archival description and cataloging, attentive reference services, and engaging outreach to make archival collections more discoverable, accessible, and relevant.
Colleen has served several archival professional associations as a volunteer and elected officer. She is a member of the Society of American Archivists Finance Committee and co-chair of the Virtual Arrangements Committee for the Fall 2024 Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference. She earned a B.A. in German and history from The College of Wooster, an M.A. in history from Cornell University, and an M.L.I.S (Master of Library and Information Science) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
In reflecting on the addition of Colleen to the Society’s staff, President Joel Brown shared, “I am thrilled that Colleen will join the DCHS team as our new Senior Archivist. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Historical Society, having served most recently as Chief Archivist for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Colleen also has experience working with denominational repositories like ours, having served as the Archival Director for the Mennonite Church USA. What excites me most of all about Colleen’s hire, however, is that her vision for denominational archives aligns with the Historical Society’s mission, believing that church repositories are not merely collections of documents and artifacts, but they sources for the church’s work of justice, healing, and wholeness in the present.”
In reflecting on her new appointment as Senior Archivist for the Society, Colleen said, “It’s hard to pick just one thing that excites me about joining this team. In reflecting upon my career, I realized that I was of most service to my employer and my profession when I worked with archival collections documenting faith and faith communities. Although I found fulfillment working with a wide variety of historical records, I consider the stewardship of religious records to be my calling. I am also excited to join a team for which the way we work together is as important as our collective work. I am looking forward to supporting and being supported by my new colleagues.”
The Historical Society hopes that you will join us in extending Colleen a warm welcome when she begins her work on July 15. Her email address is [email protected].