Longtime William S. Hart Museum administrator Margi Bertram retired Friday.

Bertram announced her retirement by email Saturday to Hart Park staff and volunteers.

She described her decision as difficult and said she decided to accept a voluntary severance package that had been offered to a group of employees at Natural History Museum facilities. The museum has been closed to visitors since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hart Museum is one of three NHM facilities, the others being the main museum at Exposition Park in Los Angeles and the La Brea Tar Pits on Wilshire Boulevard, otherwise known as the Page Museum. The Hart Museum and the county park that surrounds it are managed separately.

“Collaborating with the Friends of Hart Park for the past nine years has been an important part of my job,” Bertram wrote. She noted that museum staff and the volunteer organization share the same goals of preserving William S. Hart’s legacy and creating “a great experience for our park and museum visitors.”

Known as an expert in all facets of Hart’s film career, Bertram excelled in the care and proper handling of artifacts, and she wrote articles for the Friends newsletter and other publications that brought the actor to life. Hart (1864-1946) left his Newhall estate to the County of Los Angeles in his will.

Bertram came to the Hart Museum as the administrator — the top staff person — in August 2011 after running the education division at the Page Museum since 2006. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Pitzer College and a master’s degree in film production from USC.

An artist, Bertram said she looks forward to having more time to paint, read and travel. She thanked staff and volunteers for “being such a big part of a significant time in my life.”

Bertram’s last day on the job was June 19. The process of reorganizing and reassigning duties related to the administration is underway.