By Vivienne Uccello
Public Information Officer - Riley County
Riley County Commissioners have announced that Katharine Hensler has been selected as the Director/Curator of the Riley County Historical Museum. Hensler will begin work on May 31st.
As Director/Curator of the Riley County Historical Museum, Hensler will oversee the organization’s mission to educate the public on the history of Riley County. She will administer the museum’s extensive collection by gathering, preserving, studying, and displaying objects, records, and information of historical value.
“We look forward to Katharine joining the Riley County team,” said Commissioner Greg McKinley. “She has worked at other museums across the county and has served as a board member for the Riley County Historical Society as well as the Manhattan/Riley County Preservation Alliance.”
Hensler’s professional history includes work for the Division of Cultural Resources at the Kansas Historical Society, Inventory Analysis for Fort Riley, and she was Executive Director of the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor, Washington. Hensler also served as Assistant Director and Development Officer for the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan.
“I’m incredibly honored to have been chosen to serve in this position as the keeper of the county’s heritage and culture,” said Katharine Hensler. ”
Hensler replaces Allana Sanger, who stepped into the role briefly replacing longtime Museum Director/Curator Cheryl Collins. Collins passed away in September 2021.