Staff
RANEY BENCH
Executive Director
Raney Bench is passionate about the power of the past and how history impacts our daily lives. She has built a career in small museum work and loves to see people light up when they encounter an interesting or surprising object or artifact. Raney has worked in several small New England museums in education, exhibits, collections management, and as an Executive Director.
She and her husband fell in love with Mount Desert Island while here on vacation in 1998 and were fortunate to move here in 2007. Raney graduated with a BA in Native American Studies from Humboldt State University, and a MA in Museum Studies from the University of Nebraska. She and her husband are raising two active boys, plus care for a small menagerie of adopted furry critters.
Contact Raney about organizational information.
LISA TAPLIN MURRAY
Assistant Director
Lisa believes that dynamic public history programs contribute a holistic understanding of the issues, traditions, and stories interwoven into our communities and foster a deeper understanding of our present culture and options for the future.
A passionate promoter of community connection, Lisa has worked on MDI for over twenty years, including at the Abbe Museum, Pemetic Elementary School, Southwest Harbor Public Library, and as library director at Bass Harbor Memorial Library.
She is an avid hiker and kayaker, and often heads over to Gotts Island to spend time at her family’s camp. She lives with her husband and two sons in Bass Harbor.
Contact Lisa about memberships, publications, programs, and museums.
LEAH LUCEY
Finance Manager
Leah settled in Bar Harbor with her husband Sean after working on Sailing Yachts between New England and the Caribbean. Prior to sailing, Leah worked as an Administrative Assistant in property management. In 2013, she graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor’s of Art, focusing on communication and public relations. Leah enjoys hiking, sailing, and yoga.
Contact Leah about bookkeeping and accounts payable.
PATRICK CALLAWAY
Collections Coordinator
Dr. Patrick Callaway earned his Doctorate in History from the University of Maine in 2019. His research focuses on the economic connections between the United States and the British Empire in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He earned is MA in History from Montana State University in 2008, and his BS in Secondary Education from the University of Montana-Western in 2005.
Outside of academia, his interests include hiking, experimenting in the kitchen with French and Portuguese cuisine (with mixed success), and classic movies.
Contact Patrick about research and collection items.
ABIGAIL THORNTON
Somesville Museums Docent
Abbey Thornton is a current undergraduate student at College of the Atlantic. Originally from Pennsylvania, they moved to Maine in 2022 to follow and study their passion of Marine Biology. They are also adamant in educating people about climate change, and the initiatives that can be pursued in helping solve it. They've grown up loving history, especially anything science-related, and want to share that with all communities.
Abbey also has a variety of hobbies that keep them busy including writing poetry, filmmaking, landscape photography, and baking. They also love going out and exploring the beautiful nature that Maine provides through sea kayaking, hiking, and occasionally camping.
To learn about our exhibits at the Somesville campus, visit her at the Museums & Gardens.