Born and raised in WNY, Spencer Morgan is a native of Allegany, NY. He is a 2008 graduate of SUNY Fredonia earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in American Studies. During his time at Fredonia, Morgan interned at the local Darwin R. Barker Historical Museum which was his first experience in a professional museum setting and ultimately influenced him to enter the field of museums. He attended Buffalo State College (now Buffalo State University), where he earned a Master of Arts degree in History with a Concentration in Museum Studies. As an intern and volunteer, Morgan found himself at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, the Historical Building at the Erie County Fairgrounds, and the Steel Plant Museum of Western New York where he became the museum’s inaugural Curator. He also spent some time at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff. Spencer then served as the Director of Development and Marketing at the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village (the former Amherst Museum), Grants and Special Events Coordinator at Villa Maria College, Associate Director of Development at SUNY Fredonia where he worked in major/planned gifts and affinity giving at the Fredonia College Foundation, and Director of Development at the Buffalo Zoo. On April 1, 2024, Spencer Morgan assumed the role of Executive Director at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, NY.
Spencer has served on a number of boards including the Erie County Historical Federation, Citizens Advocating Memorial Preservation, the Lackawanna Historical Association, the 1891 Fredonia Opera House, the Pinehurst Beach Preservation Society, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals WNY Chapter. As a Charlton Scholar, he has attended both the SUNY Council for University Advancement annual statewide conference and AFP’s international ICON conference. During his time employed at Fredonia, Morgan was lucky enough to also attend the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Summer Institute in Educational Fundraising at Dartmouth College. He has served as a guest speaker, guest curator, and guest lecturer on several occasions. In 2013, Morgan published his first book, Western New York Steel. He has earned a Paralegal Certification from the University at Buffalo, an Advanced Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Empire State College, and recently completed the Not For Profit Management Program through the Harvard Business School Club of Buffalo. In 2020 Spencer became 1 of just 8,000 professionals across the globe to earn the CFRE credentials through Certified Fund Raising Executive International. With a career spanning over 15 years, he has raised millions of dollars for local institutions and nonprofits and has experience in nonprofit management, development/philanthropy, museum operations, board governance and development, strategic planning, events management, grant writing and administration.