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Victoria Billig, assistant director for the Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, was recently recognized with the Florida Association of Museums (FAM) 2024 Exceptional Leadership Award.

FAM’s annual Museum Service Awards Program recognizes outstanding contributions to the museum profession in the Sunshine State. The Exceptional Leadership Award recognizes Billig’s work in the museum field and her profound impact on the cultural arts, Florida’s museums, and the lives of the citizens of the State of Florida.

“Victoria’s decade-long commitment of service excellence at the Appleton has made significant contributions to the museum while simultaneously advancing Florida’s museums, both locally and statewide,” said Appleton director Jason Steuber.

Billig has been with the Appleton as assistant director for almost 11 years. She leads a 15-person team composed of the Education, Marketing and Public Relations, Appleton Store and Visitor Services departments. Victoria is the managing editor and content designer for all the Appleton’s public-facing engagement and marketing strategies, such as the trimonthly museum magazine, Artifacts, as well as the website and media communication platforms. Working closely with the Appleton team, she led the museum’s successful American Alliance of Museums reaccreditation in spring 2023 and the development of two, five-year strategic plans (2017-2022 and 2023-2028). Billig embodies a true and heartfelt dedication to ensuring that museums and the arts are accessible resources for children and adults in all walks in life.

“The Florida Association of Museums is such an important organization that works diligently to bring together and provide valuable resources for the state’s museum professionals while promoting and supporting the arts and arts advocacy,” Billig said. “I’m thrilled and honored to receive this leadership award and represent the Appleton and College of Central Florida.”

About Florida Association of Museums

The Florida Association of Museums is the not-for-profit professional organization for Florida’s museums and museum professionals. The mission of the association is to represent and address the needs of the museum community, enhancing the ability of museums to serve the public interest. The Association encourages excellence in its members by promoting communication through which its members share information and resources, effect legislation and promote support of museums.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.