Stax Museum executive director leaving for job at new Sultana Disaster Museum

Jeff Kollath, the executive director of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, is stepping down.

On Thursday, the museum announced that Kollath would be leaving his post on June 30, after more than nine years, to become the executive director of the new Sultana Disaster Museum in Marion, Arkansas.

In a press release announcing his departure, the Stax Museum praised Kollath for his service, noting that during his tenure he “created a program offering free field trips for all Title One schools in Tennessee, and has been a tireless supporter of free educational programming, curating more than just exhibits, but also having conversations surrounding the story of Stax, how history shaped it then, and continues to do so today."

Kollath, who was instrumental in helping filmmakers research the recent HBO docuseries on Stax, also led the museum through some of its most challenging times, stabilizing the organization in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Kollath said his time leading the Stax Museum “has been full of ‘pinch me’ moments. Being able to celebrate the Stax legacy and share the music and stories of the people who made it has been the greatest joy in my professional life,” he said. “I will always be grateful to Soulsville for giving me this opportunity.”

MEMPHIS MUSIC HISTORY: From Carla Thomas to Isaac Hayes, HBO Stax documentary is story of 'Soulsville' — and America

Pat Mitchell Worley, CEO of the Soulsville Foundation — which operates the museum, noted that Kollath is departing to help establish the Sultana Museum. “[Jeff’s] a lover of great stories at heart, and Stax and the Sultana, the greatest maritime disaster in America, are both that. He’s getting the chance to create a museum from the ground up and draw on his passion for research and storytelling with this new opportunity."

Kollath came to Stax having spent eight years working as curator of programs and exhibitions for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. He also worked as director of museum experience at the Milwaukee County Historical Society and served as the public humanities manager for the Center for Humanities at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Despite stepping down from his full-time role at the Stax Museum, Kollath will continue working with the Soulsville Foundation as the chair of a new advisory committee for the museum. He also will consult on its special collections and programming.

The Soulsville Foundation will begin conducting a national search for Kollath’s successor.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Stax Museum executive director takes job at Sultana Disaster Museum