Dear Sir/Madame,

I am a highly motivated, fluently bilingual (French and English) professional,with a strong interest in using video to promote Canadian cultural heritage. I work well under pressure and have developed excellent analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills. As a Master of Arts Graduate with a specialization in both Canadian History and Women’s Studies, I have an excellent knowledge of historical and sociological research and writing methods. I am interested in applying these skills to the media industry and am seeking exciting opportunities to promote Canada’s diverse cultural heritage.

More recently, I assisted in the development of an historical documentary series (Nos souvenirs/notre patrimoine) to be broadcast on community television. I successfully developed rapport within the community that facilitated my ability to conduct interviews with elderly members of the community that could be used in an oral history project and collection. Working with the local community television, I wrote and submitted successful grant applications (Trillium Foundation of Ontario, $46,000 over 1 yr.) and developed partnerships to fund the project and my research. As the Historian and Assistant Director of the project, in addition to the research involved, I successfully managed the public relations for this project by organizing multiple press conferences.

Interested in the promotion and preservation of Canadian culture and heritage, I have developed excellent teaching skills by presenting lectures on Women’s History to undergraduate university students. I have also made a variety of heritage related presentations at several professional conferences. The most recent of these conferences was the Oral History in Canada Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On September 7th, 2005, I was invited by the Cumberland Township Historical Association to make a presentation on local Franco-Ontarian heritage at their Annual General Meeting.

As a Project Manager with Expomédiatour, I worked with Le Centre culturel La Ste-Famille in Rockland, Ontario, to create an exhibitionon Franco-Ontarian heritage in the region. I was responsible for the research, design and production of a portable exhibit based on video oral histories and photographs collected from the community. Responsible for all aspects of this project from its conception to launch, I have demonstrated valuable research, analysis and communication skills while producing a quality community exhibit for a Francophone audience.

In October I started the Certificate in Museum Studies program offered by the Ontario Museums Association. I am highly involved in the heritage sector. I recently began to work with the Scouts Canada in an effort to substantiate its museum. As a volunteer consultant, I am guiding Scouts Canada in the development of policies and procedures that will meet the Ontario Ministry of Culture standards for heritage institutions.

If you are seeking a qualified consultant with excellent research, writing, editing or fundraising skills, I would be delighted to hear from you. I may be reached by telephone at (613) 749-5467 or by email at muir321@hotmail.com or michelle321@cyberus.ca. and would be delighted to discuss my qualifications further at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Michelle Muir