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Midway Village Museum Names Patrick O’Keefe
New Executive Director
Midway Village Museum Board of Directors announces Patrick O’Keefe of Rockford, as the newly appointed Executive Director for the museum and will begin his position January 1, 2021.
Midway Village Museum was established in 1974 with a mission of history preservation and education in the Rockford region. The museum collection contains more than 150,000 artifacts and the museum additionally operates a 13-acre Victorian Village comprised of 26 buildings representing a rural town between 1890 – 1910. The museum campus of 148-acres is situated on Rockford’s east side.
Rockford’s Patrick O’Keefe (above) is the new Executive Director of Midway Village Museum.
Patrick’s experience spans a professional career of years of progressive leadership including work in the corporate and non-profit sectors.  He has extensive experience in marketing, business development, financial management, communications, strategy, brand development, project management, and team building. He has been extensively involved in the community, and is a promoter and advocate for the Rockford region.
“All of us at Midway Village Museum are looking forward to having Patrick share his knowledge and leadership skills as a part of our team,” said Britta Peterson, Board Chair. “Patrick’s commitment to Rockford and the future of Rockford will be an asset to Midway Village Museum as we continue to preserve Rockford’s past and provide quality history education in the region.”
Patrick will replace retiring Executive Director David Byrnes. David will have served successfully as the Executive Director at Midway Village Museum for 22 years at the time of his December, 2020, retirement. Mr. O’Keefe and Mr. Byrnes will be working together to assure a smooth transition.
“I am honored and excited to have the privilege to help lead the Midway Village Museum,” said Patrick. “Local history has long been a passion of mine. Midway Village Museum is truly one of our finest assets in our region, connecting our past to our future. The facilities and the programs are of first quality and I look forward to building on the successes and continue the Midway Village Museum standard of excellence. Working with the board, staff, and volunteers we look forward to bringing our history to life and connecting to our community. I encourage you to visit and have an experience at the museum.”
Patrick joins the museum with extensive leadership and management background serving years in corporate roles at Eclipse Inc., a global manufacturing company; and as volunteer and leader of Transform Rockford, an organization with a purpose to improve the social and economic well-being of the Rockford region.
As an independent consultant, Patrick advised clients on organizational vision setting, strategic planning and implementation. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in History from Northern Illinois University and received certifications in marketing and business management from University of Wisconsin and Rockford University.
Patrick has served as a volunteer for numerous non-profit organizations in the community.

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