Former director returns to History Museum

After a stint directing The Fremont retirement community and an unsuccessful bid in the August primaries for a Republican seat in the Missouri House, John Sellars is returning to his former post at the Springfield-Greene County History Museum.

Sellars, who left the nonprofit in March 2011, is settling back in as its director, effective Oct. 1. Sellars will replace his own successor, interim director David Eslick, a local historian who plans to continue to volunteer with the museum, according to a news release.

Sellars said Cassie Eador, senior living counselor with The Fremont, will take over as director of the retirement community Oct. 22, when her maternity leave concludes.

Sellars, who said he left the museum to pursue full-time work after working part-time at the museum, is returning to a full-time position.

Initially, he will be charged with transitioning the museum to its new home on Park Central Square in the historic Barth's building. The museum currently is housed in Historic City Hall at Chestnut Expressway and Boonville Avenue.

"I enjoyed my seven years at the museum. That's where my heart was," Sellars said. "This opportunity to help make this new project go is just too much to pass up.

"I'm excited about the future and the benefit it will be to the city and the county."

Sellars said demolition work is ongoing, and he said the museum is seeking to acquire the nearby former Fox Theatre - the current home of Abundant Life Covenant Church - for additional museum space.

Museum officials have said renovations are expected to be completed on the Barth's building this year. Sellars said he wasn't yet deep enough into the project to estimate when renovations would be completed.

Sellars, who hasn't yet been in discussions with the museum's board, said his personal fundraising goal is $2 million to complete renovations for the downtown project.

He said there are currently two museum employees, but with the completion of the downtown facility, there would be about 15.