Historical society has new executive director

The Lincoln County Historical Society (LCHS), which governs the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center on the Bayfront and the Burrows House Museum on Southwest Ninth Street in Newport, has a new executive director following Susan Tissot’s retirement. Jeffrey Syrop was hired by the board of directors and took over in May.

Syrop is no stranger to Lincoln County museums, having spent the last seven years working to preserve and interpret the county’s history. He started as the curator for the LCHS in 2017 and went on to be the executive director for the North Lincoln County Historical Museum in Lincoln City for five and a half years.

While in Lincoln City, Syrop was able to usher in a new era for that museum. He obtained grants for collections and exhibit projects, ran successful fundraisers, held fun and inclusive events and programs, and utilized social media and other online platforms to reach hundreds of thousands of people. He created virtual exhibits, online art shows, revamped exhibits, and completed a grant funded tour series called Tiny Tours during the pandemic. Syrop says he is excited to bring his skills back to Newport.

For the past six months, Syrop has served as the collections specialist for the LCHS. In that short time, the staff completed and updated three exhibits at the maritime heritage center, made progress on comprehensive collections projects, and revamped and reopened the Burrows House Museum.

“It’s been so wonderful working with this talented staff and learning from the leadership of Susan Tissot over the last six months,” said Syrop. “I’m very excited to get started and feel honored to be selected by our board of directors.”

Syrop has been a museum professional and archaeologist since 2008. He has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with an emphasis on museum studies from Missouri Valley College. He is originally from Hawaii, and he and his family have lived in Newport since 2016. He is a lifelong surfer, loves participating in parks and recreation sports leagues and contributing to the inclusive art scene in Newport.