After a comprehensive search that started in the spring of 2015, the board of directors and staff of the Museum of Danish America are announcing the selection of Rasmus Thøgersen as its new executive director.

Thøgersen (pronounced too-er-sen) is from Hellerup, the suburb north of Copenhagen in Denmark. He is presently the director of the Morton-James Public Library in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and completed his bachelor’s degree from The Royal School of Library and Information Science at the University of Copenhagen. He holds a joint master’s degree from the Universities of Oslo, Parma an­d Tallinn.

Thøgersen will begin his work at the museum on December 1, ahead of the planned retirement of current director Dr. John Mark Nielsen, who has led the museum in the position since 2003. The pair will work together over a two-month period of transition.

In his application package Thøgersen noted, “Beyond my qualifications, I represent the very narrative being told by the museum. Originally a librarian from Denmark, an undergraduate study abroad experience in the U.S. spurred me toward international opportunities – in Belgium, Norway, Estonia, Italy, Switzerland, and New Zealand.  In 2014 I followed my wife back to her native Nebraska. (Jennifer is on the faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.) Over the next year, I acquired my green card, becoming the director of the Morton-James Public Library. I consider myself a Danish-American achiever and take a great deal of pride in that identity.”

Thøgersen’s role will include both strategic and operational components, from day-to-day administrative responsibilities to the development of strategic plans that advance the museum’s position as the national museum for Danish-American heritage and culture. He will also assure continued compliance with legal, financial, accounting and ethical requirements, including the standards and practices set forth by the American Alliance of Museums, with whom the museum is currently in the process of becoming accredited.

Nielsen remarked, “Since this past March, I have met with Rasmus a number of times, and he has an engaging personality.  He brings experiences and skill sets that complement an already strong staff – a staff that also shares my excitement.”

More about the Museum of Danish America can be found at danishmuseum.org. Welcome messages can be posted to the museum’s Facebook page: facebook.com/danishmuseum.