‘Visionary’ Brian Reis, fixture at historic Ellwood House in DeKalb for decades, retires as executive director

DeKALB – The longtime leader of the historic Ellwood House in DeKalb said goodbye to his executive director job recently after his 12-year run saw more than $1 million raised and the Nehring House brought back under the proprietorship of the historic facility.

Brian Reis said it’ll be hard to leave the museum supporters in the DeKalb area, but he’s proud of the restoration work he’s completed at the mansion.

“We put new roofs on buildings, really good preservation campaigns, and for the mansion itself we did this historic structures report, which is this really hefty document that looks at ... the total package of the building to see how it was developed historically, how it’s used today, and then how to restore it in the right manner,” Reis said. “That was a two-year deal right there, just to have that document created by a team of preservationists.”

The Ellwood House’s accomplishments, preservation initiatives and respect from the community accumulated during Reis’ tenure, but esteem for the local heritage site wasn’t the only positive outcome he created during his time. Jerry Johns, a member of the Ellwood House’s board of directors, said his relationship with Reis has been among the most significant he’s had in his life.

“It’s been excellent, and one of the most meaningful experiences in my life,” said Johns, 78. “He is an outstanding executive director, and we have apparently forged a bond so that we can communicate very openly and clearly with each other, and we have also enjoyed a very special friendship.”

Reis began his time at the Ellwood House a decade before he was hired as executive director – and met Johns – when he was brought on as an intern in about 2000. Reis said he worked at the Ellwood House and three other museums to “cobble work together” while pursuing a graduate degree in art history museum studies at Northern Illinois University. After a time, he transitioned to caretaker of the Ellwood House, living in an apartment in the mansion for several years.

“It was great. It was a great apartment, and it was a great place to live,” Reis said. “I mean, I wrote my master’s thesis on the little porch that’s part of the apartment, so it was perfect with the proximity to NIU.”

Johns said that under Reis’ leadership, the Ellwood House embarked on a three-year program to raise more than $900,000 for historic restoration, which resulted in more than $1 million raised for the initiative.

“Brian was the foundation to really make all that possible, and it’s a real feather in his many accomplishments as executive director,” Johns said.

Reis also helped with the acquisition of the Nehring House, now called the Ellwood-Nehring House, from Shirley Hamilton Nehring a decade ago. The 1899 Tudor-style revival house is used for event space mostly, while the Ellwood mansion remains a museum.

With Reis’ departure, Johns said the Ellwood House needs to fill the executive director position. In the meantime, staff will facilitate the tasks Reis is leaving behind.

“We also have staff members who will be continuing the various roles so that the Ellwood House can serve the community and broader region with outreach programs, tours and the upcoming holiday open house event,” Johns said.

Johns, who has served as a president and vice president for the Ellwood House board of directors, hopes the new executive director will carry on initiatives started under Reis’ tenure and help carry the museum and historic homestead forward much how Reis has done.

A qualified candidate, Johns said, will be a strategic leader capable of working with the board to reach long-term goals while also managing several fundraisers a year, performing functions of a human resources department and overall business administration, and managing the exhibits while maintaining appropriate care of the artifacts.

“It’s a sad time, and I think I speak for all the board members,” Johns said. “However, we are delighted that [Reis] has found a new venture that will continue to use his talents. And I personally think it’s a darn-near perfect position for him.”

Reis’ retirement from the Ellwood House won’t end his professional career. He’s taken a position as executive director of the Smeja Homestead Foundation in Rockford. At 25 acres, the homestead is Reis’ largest site, with fewer buildings than in DeKalb.

“They’re more of [an] organization that’s looking for a new direction, and they want to focus on historic preservation and doing outreach and programing,” Reis said. “They’re looking for someone to kind of look at it as a startup, and that’s appealing to me.”

Asked why Reis’ new position at the Smeja Homestead Foundation is close to a perfect fit, Johns said it’s “because he’s a visionary.”

“And this new role will ask him to spend some time preparing for a restoration of a [century-old] farmhouse and then move on to other things that will help position that organization to grow and make a larger impact in the community,” Johns said.