Jennifer Matos is the New Administrator of the Museum of CT History
Jennifer Matos has joined the Connecticut State Library as the Museum of Connecticut History’s new Museum Administrator. Matos has more than 20 years of experience in the museum profession and most recently served as the Executive Director of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society from 2014-2023.
“We are delighted to welcome Jennifer to the Museum of Connecticut History,” said State Librarian Deborah Schander. “Thousands of students and history buffs visit the museum each year to see the Royal Charter, portraits of Connecticut’s governors, and other fascinating objects from our state’s military, industrial, and political history. Under Jenn’s leadership, visitors will engage with our rich collections through new public programming, interpretation, and community partnerships. I am excited to see where we go next.”
During her tenure at the Noah Webster House, Matos was responsible for the creation of the newly formed West Hartford Gift Shop, a social enterprise supporting the mission of the museum; The Connecticut Spelling Bee, a state-wide spelling competition for students, the winner of which represents Connecticut at the Scripps National Spelling Bee; the museum’s re-accreditation with the American Alliance of Museums; major renovations to the museum’s basement archives; and raising over $1 million in grants and donations for the museum. She has also worked at such estimable organizations as Connecticut’s Old State House, the Connecticut Historical Society, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and Connecticut Landmarks.
“I am honored to be selected by the Connecticut State Library as the Administrator of the Museum of Connecticut History,” said Jennifer Matos. “The Museum has an impressive collection of items related to the history of the State. I look forward to sharing these treasures with my fellow residents, so that we can all learn more about the rich history we have right here in Connecticut.”
Matos holds a B.A. in History and Art History from the University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT and an M.A. in American Civilization from Brown University, Providence, RI. She has served on a variety of boards and committees, including the New England Museum Association’s Historic Sites Professional Affinity Group, the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies Board, and the Women’s Leadership Center Advisory Board at the University of Saint Joseph. She is currently the chair of the Discussion Committee of the Saturday Morning Club, a Hartford-based literary group established by Mark Twain in 1876, and on the Executive Board of the College of Hartford, a social, educational, and philanthropic organization founded in 1905 to promote higher education for women.