Head of Independence Seaport Museum resigns

Lori Dillard Rech, who took over the scandal-plagued Independence Seaport Museum in September 2007 and brought some measure of stability to it, has resigned to "pursue other opportunities," museum officials announced yesterday.

Board member James W. McLane, an executive in the health-care and financial-services industries, has been named interim president, said Peter McCausland, board chairman.

"I am sorry to see Lori move on," McCausland said in a statement. "She will be missed. We are very appreciative of what she has done for the museum over the past 2 1/2 years."

Rech was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Formerly executive director of the Betsy Ross House, she arrived at the museum after a scandal involving the previous president, John Carter, who is serving a prison term for misappropriation of museum funds, goods, and services.

Rech worked to right the ship and boost the low morale of employees battered by the Carter years and his legal woes. She forged relationships with many previously uninvolved groups, particularly in the city's African American community; developed programs; and sought to bring accountability and transparency to the museum's financial dealings.

The museum recently began working on a strategic plan - an effort led by McLane - that seeks to focus on connecting residents to Philadelphia's maritime traditions, as embodied in the ports and waterways of the Schuylkill and Delaware River.

McCausland praised McLane's "vast experience, his energy, his make-things-happen approach to life, his people skills, and his appreciation of the collection and archives."

The board will begin a search for a permanent president, McCausland said.