From 1992-96, Bonnie Hurd Smith served as the (volunteer) president of the Sargent House Museum in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Previously, she had served on the external relations committee. The Sargent House Museum was the home of the essayist and women's rights advocate Judith Sargent Murray (1751-1820) and her husband, the Universalist minister John Murray (1741-1815). Bonnie is a leading expert on Judith Sargent Murray's life and work. Her responsibilities and accomplishments as president of the museum included:
• first-ever fundraising plan (including funding from the Mass. Cultural Council, the Mass. Foundation for the Humanities, other grantors, local businesses and individuals)
• development of new funding sources (including a new museum shop)
• membership development through regular correspondence and newsletters, programs and events, etc.
• event planning and hosting (from conferences and large community events to holiday gatherings at the museum)
• regular media placements showcasing museum activities
• executing marketing plan to promote Judith Sargent Murray
• developing educational programs for Gloucester schools (now part of the permanent curriculum)
• rearranging museum room displays and rewriting the interpretive tour to more effectively present the museum and its residents
• board and staff development
• working with other Gloucester community organizations on joint programs or projects