Matthew P. Stackpole, the former executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, has been named a major gifts officer at Mystic Seaport – The Museum of America and the Sea, in Mystic, Conn.

Mr. Stackpole will focus his initial efforts on raising support across the nation for the museum’s pending restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world.

A three-year, multi-million dollar restoration of the vessel is set to begin in fall 2008.

“Matt brings a wealth of knowledge to our institutional advancement team at an important time as we continue to move forward with the Morgan restoration project,” museum president and director Douglas Teeson said. “He’ll be a great ambassador for the Morgan project.”

Mr. Stackpole has a unique familiarity with Mystic Seaport. When he was just seven, his father became curator of the Museum, and Matthew and his family lived on museum grounds.

Before heading the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Mr. Stackpole served as associate director of development and external affairs at Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury, as executive vice president of the David H. Smith Foundation in New York city, as president of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Foundation and as director of development and public relations at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.