Hayes

Executive Director Hayes Scriven

The Northfield Sertoma Club has announced that Hayes Scriven, executive director of the Northfield Historical Society, will receive this year’s 2015 Service to Mankind Award — Sertoma’s top honor for non-members in recognition of exceptional community service. He received the award at Northfield Sertoma’s Club morning meeting on May 12 at the Northfield Golf Course.

“Hayes has done a lot for not only the Northfield Historical Society but for the community of Northfield,” says Douglas Peterson, who serves on Sertoma’s award committee with Wayne Beumer. “And one of the reasons Hayes was chosen for this award is how quickly he found his way in Northfield once he landed here after college.

“He came into his job at a young age and with not much experience, and was the society’s only staff member for many years,” Peterson says. Scriven started at NHS in 2005 as exhibits and education coordinator, and the following year was appointed executive director. “During his tenure he has really grown into the job and needs to be recognized for the excellent work he has done.”

Scriven graduated from Kenyon-Wanamingo High School in 2001 and majored in history at the University of Minnesota Duluth, graduating in 2005. Scriven says that his love for history comes from three people: his two grandfathers — one of whom was a history teacher at St. Louis Park, the other a chemical engineer, but a history buff; and his high school history teacher.

“They ingrained in me early on the idea that history is an important part of people’s identity, and that it plays a major role in a community’s development,” he explains. When Scriven came to Northfield the NHS had a membership of 315. Simply reversing those numbers will give you the current membership of 513. In addition, since 2008/09 (the biennium of the Legacy grant program offered by the Minnesota Historical Society), the NHS has been a recipient of 13 grants totaling more than $407,000.

Hayes and Matthew

Hayes Scriven with Northfield Sertoma Club President Matthew Rich

The society also has completed a renovation that added an elevator and six ADA-compliant restrooms, and improved its collection storage with compact shelving. He also has led efforts to enhance programming and exhibits.

“As Hayes likes to say, ‘Remember — you make history every day,'” says Peterson. “We in turn want Hayes to keep making history here as well as collecting and recording community history. This is how you are providing Service to Mankind.”

Scriven has served on the mayor’s Downtown Streetscape Task force, the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation Downtown Design Committee, the Northfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Board of Directors, and the Defeat of Jesse James Days Committee — on which he just completed a two-year stint as general chair.