Longtime Rancho curator retires after 23 years of service

Rancho Los Cerritos hosted a retirement party on Jan. 5 to honor Steve Iverson, who has worked as curator at the Rancho for 23 consecutive years. His role as curator included: overseeing museum collections; managing the museum’s research library and archives; developing new exhibits, as well as updating the existing exhibits; researching the history of Rancho Los Cerritos; assisting with volunteer training; and helping to coordinate special events at the museum.
Iverson was always seen as someone who wore “many hats,” Ellen Calomiris, executive director and historic sites officer at Rancho Los Cerritos, explained. “Steve has impacted the Rancho because all of his dedication, knowledge and passion for history,” she said.
Iverson’s achievements at the Rancho ranged from helping to shape the Master Plan of Rancho Los Cerritos, developing historical reference materials for the living history programs, installing new exhibits such as the blacksmith shop and the laundry room, to expanding the signature program— Christmas Candlelight tours at Rancho Los Cerritos.
According to a press release issued by the Rancho, “His efforts and achievements will continue to echo through the adobe walls of the Rancho. His retirement will certainly affect the community, historical researchers, and those going through volunteer training due to the loss of the ‘encyclopedia knowledge’ Iverson was known for. He began working at the Rancho in 1989 and retired in December 2012.”