Community meets new museum executive director

You get one chance to make a first impression and Thursday that impression was positive. 
Members of the Snyder community said they were impressed by new Scurry County Museum Executive Director Nicole DeGuzman, and she in turn has been impressed by Snyder and West Texas.
The museum’s board of directors held a welcome reception for DeGuzman Thursday evening at the Development Corporation of Snyder office. Members of the community and elected officials attended the come-and-go event, and everyone was eager to meet DeGuzman.
“I like her, especially her personality,” said Snyder Lions Club member Charles Ragland. “I was happy to hear her first impressions of Snyder were great. She is going to do a good job for us.”
DeGuzman said she attended last week’s farmers market at The Coliseum and witnessed Snyder’s hospitality. She said a person purchased a watermelon and the person behind her got out of line and carried the melon to the buyer’s car. 
DeGuzman asked the second person about her assisting the other.
“She said, ‘This is West Texas. This is what we do,’” DeGuzman said.
Museum board member John Rogotzke said he was impressed with DeGuzman from the first day he met her.
Rogotzke and museum board chairman Lynn Fuller both said DeGuzman will be leading fundraising efforts for the museum.
“That is going to be a real asset for us,” Rogotzke said. “We need the fundraising to keep the museum going. I am excited about seeing the many, many good things she will be doing for the museum in the future.”
Former Snyder Mayor Terry Martin and current Mayor Tony Wofford were also impressed with DeGuzman’s personality.
“Her outgoing personality will benefit Snyder and the museum,” Martin said.
Wofford, who met DeGuzman for the first time during Thursday’s event, said he is ready to work with her to promote Snyder’s history.
“She seems to be comfortable with where she is and what she will need to do,” he said.
DeGuzman said community support is essential to the success of the museum and from the crowd in attendance, she knows support is there.
“I am very impressed with the support of the museum,” she said. “I am excited to be along for this ride. It is going to be a community effort to take the museum to the next level.”
Fuller said DeGuzman stood out during the interview process, during which each finalist was tasked with working with the museum staff for one day.
“The report from the staff about Nicole was excellent,” Fuller said. “Her personality and attitude stood out.”
He said DeGuzman will be getting to know the community over the next few weeks and will begin the process of having the museum reaccredited. She said she hoped to complete that process over the next few months.