New volunteers, staff to lead operations of Belknap Mill

LACONIA — The Belknap Mill is rolling into 2026 under new leadership. 

Katherine Switala-Elmurst, who is also vice chair of the organization’s board, now serves as volunteer Acting Executive Director of the Mill. Switala-Elmhurst brings more than a quarter-century of experience in historic preservation, project management and strategic planning to the role.

She came to Laconia from the Philadelphia area three years ago and has a professional background which includes strategic planning for historic house museums.  

Laura LeMien, chair of the board, previously served as executive director in an acting capacity. Jill Desruisseaux, who previously served as associate director, has returned to her career in elementary education, she said Wednesday night.

“I wish the Mill much future success,” she wrote in an email.  

The Belknap Mill brought on Denise Kirk, a new events & programs manager, who has more than a decade of experience in event planning, gallery curation and arts programming. 

Fabiana McLeod is the new digital marketing coordinator. McLeod’s background includes business management and creative strategy and she’ll lead the Belknap Mill’s digital marketing efforts.  

“Together, they strengthen the Mill’s mission to provide free and affordable programming for all ages throughout the Lakes Region,” a press release about the leadership transition reads.  

And in 2026, they’re looking at sustainable growth for the future.  

“We’re on the heels of celebrating our 200th year of the building being a mill,” Switala-Elmhurst said. “And we’re looking toward the next 200 years.” 

The board is considering the demographics of the Lakes Region and hoping to target their audiences effectively. They’ll lean into children’s programming, for example, which has always been a priority for the Mill. Over their history, Switala-Elmhurst said, they’ve seen opportunities for mixed use of the Mill, which will diversify their streams of revenue.  

For the last year or so, a period which coincided with the reimagining of their museum, they’ve also played host to wedding activities, baby showers and other events in their third-floor event space. That’s also been the location for various community events, like the kickoff meeting to the city’s master planning process, and a panel discussion between municipal candidates vying for elected officer earlier in the fall. They also host free family craft days and activities for kids in the park in July.

“We really wanted to lean into that,” Switala-Elmhurst said. 

They’re expanding into new programs now, too, focusing on the history of the mill and offering others for those interested in knitting, crochet and the fiber arts more generally — fitting, of course, because it was for many years a fully functional textile mill where socks were made. Offering more programs for community engagement, like lecture series, is also on the table. 

“How do we lean into 2025, what’s hot right now?” Switala-Elmhurst said. “We feel that Laconia is going through this renaissance right now.

“It’s a great place to be and it’s a great cornerstone for the city.” 

And they’re finding new ways to highlight that “cornerstone” on Beacon Street East. When Switala-Elmhurst first came to the Mill, she noticed a large space on the fourth floor used for general storage. She’s working to clean it out and interpret the space for public view. 

Last year, they revived a former tradition: the New Year’s Eve Ball, which she said worked well and was a success. They’ll run their second iteration of the newly imagined event this year. It’s open to the public, and is one of their efforts to introduce more people to the Belknap Mill. 

“This was kind of born out of our board last year,” she said, noting it could become one of their signature events, along with the annual Sock Hop in September.  

Anyone interested in learning more about the future of the Mill is encouraged to reach out by calling 603-524-8813 or visiting belknapmill.org.