New Jersey State Museum Executive Director Anthony Gardner, of Verona, will leave state service to take on the role of vice president of Community Engagement at the National September 11th Memorial & Museum. Fine Art Curator Margaret O’Reilly, who has been with the museum for more than 20 years, will serve as acting director while a nationwide search is conducted for a new executive director.
The National September 11th Memorial Thinkstock/Sean Pavone Photo
“Anthony has promoted the very best of New Jersey through his passion for engaging audiences of all ages in the stories of our shared history,” stated Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno in a release to the Times. “We are grateful for his service and proud that he has been recognized for his leadership and his dedication to ensuring that the lessons of September 11 are never forgotten. I join his family, friends and colleagues in congratulating him on this well-deserved opportunity.”
Under Gardner’s direction, museum attendance increased by more than 63 percent. He managed the renovation and reopening of the museum’s archaeology collections galleries, developed strategic STEM education partnerships and led the museum in the development of “Remember 9/11: Reflections and Memories from New Jersey.”
Gardner’s brother, Harvey Joseph Gardner III, was a victim of the September 11 attacks.
