This Tri-City museum endured cuts and layoffs. Here's what's next

It was built and opened in the shadow of the Great Recession.

And while its first few years of operation saw some successes, the Reach museum in Richland also endured its fair share of struggles — namely tight finances that led to cuts and layoffs.

But these days, the museum — dedicated to telling stories of the region’s land, culture, history and people — is in a good place, its executive director said.

"We're doing really well, we're hitting our numbers," Rosanna Sharpe told the Herald.

So far this year, the Reach has drawn more than 4,800 visits, plus it's welcomed 1,415 students through school tours and drawn 885 people through its education programs.

The museum has 971 members.

While it continues with its day-to-day operations, officials are thinking about the future.

A strategic planning process is expected to start this fall. The plan will be a "living document," guiding the Reach for three years, with updates made annually, Sharpe said.

"That will be our guidepost for initiatives, conversations and certainly fundraising," she said.

It's also expected to include a vision for the facility's 10,000-square-foot unfinished basement, which long has been thought of for expanded education, collection and exhibition space.

Community stakeholders, from educators to business leaders, will be asked to take part in the planning process, Sharpe said, adding that public involvement also will be sought.

She expects the process to take a few months.

The Reach has 12 employees, with half part-time and half full-time.

This year's budget is about $860,000. The museum has been in hold-the-line mode in the past year as Sharpe settled into the director job and reached out to the community.

"I've been spending the last year talking about mission, mission, mission — about why we're here," she said, adding that she's also been listening to feedback and input.

The Reach — which has several permanent exhibits, a variety of rotating exhibits and a host of education programs and offerings — opened in 2014.

The path to that day wasn't smooth.

The effort to build the museum started not long after President Clinton established the 196,000-acre Hanford Reach National Monument in 2000.

At first, a larger facility at Columbia Point south was envisioned.

But problems arose with the site, and fundraising slowed as the recession hit and public confidence in the project waned. Eventually, it gained renewed momentum with a scaled-back design and new leadership, including former executive director Lisa Toomey.

Toomey retired at the end of 2016, with Sharpe joining the following spring.

Sharpe has a wealth of museum experience.

She said she's excited about the future of the Reach.

"We want each community member to feel like the museum is part of their lifestyle," she said. "We need more positive places for people to reflect, to heal, to experience joy, to learn, to be challenged. Museums are good, safe places to do that.

"We're here. We want people to know that this is their museum. That's the message I want people to know: this is a great place for a good experience."

The Reach Foundation's signature fundraiser is June 21. Called Day's Pay, it'll feature cuisine, music and entertainment from the 1940s. The event is 5:30 to 9 p.m. June 21 at the museum. Cost is $30.

For more information, go to visitthereach.org.

For tickets, call 509-943-4100 or email diannam@visitthereach.org.

This story was originally published June 16, 2018 at 12:54 PM with the headline "This Tri-City museum endured cuts and layoffs. Here's what's next."