We are excited to introduce a new feature in our weekly Monday Morning Report newsletter to showcase our highest-level members. Leaders You Should Know highlights community leaders who are making a notable impact in the Nashville region.
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Tell us about yourself?
I grew up in a coastal town and have a great love of the ocean and being in nature. Since I was a small child, I have been interested in science, from caring for flowers in my backyard garden to observing the birds and bugs that called it home. As I aged, I wasn’t always sure what I wanted to pursue as a career, but I maintained that love of exploration and discovery into adulthood. Settling into a career within museums was a perfect match for someone who loved to learn—there’s always something new to discover.
My passion for exploration extends far beyond my career path. All my hobbies, including international travel and voracious reading, are rooted in discovery. I’ve had the privilege to visit over 60 countries, and I am still eager to explore much more of the world. I’m often engaged in more than one book across a wide breadth of genres including fantasy and autobiographies. Whether I devour what I’m reading in one sitting or over several weeks, I am enraptured.
My favorite seasons are summer and fall when I can most pleasantly enjoy time outdoors. I am thrilled to be here in Tennessee where we experience all four seasons, and I found my first fall in Tennessee to be as beautiful as I had hoped. I’ve been able to explore a small portion of the state so far and look forward to planning some spring road trips to learn even more.
Tell us about your business/industry?
Informal education is a broad term for experiences that happen in science centers, museums, zoos, gardens, and similar venues. Some people also use the term Free-Choice or Out-of-School learning. All refer to learning experiences that happen outside a formal classroom.
When you think back on your first field trip, you likely remember not just what you saw, but something you learned from the experience. It’s unlikely you remember a time when education was not synonymous with a museum. However, conceptualizing museums as places not just to protect historical and cultural treasures, but also to engage learners in the lessons they can teach us, really began to grow in force in the 20th century. That also coincides with the birth of science centers where the emphasis was on the visitor experience rather than collections care. Today, it’s hard to think of these spaces as anything other than opportunities to learn, be inspired, and explore topics of curiosity.
Science centers can be described as places that lead with concepts and experiences. There are few, if any, behind-the-scenes collections in storage. Instead, the emphasis is on creating spaces and exhibitions where the audience can be actively engaged. Science centers can be exciting for visitors of all ages with exhibits that bring academic concepts to life and connect the wonders of science to our everyday lives.
Looking ahead, our focus is on connecting our offerings to personal relevance, integrating workforce development into our exhibitions and programs, and ensuring equal access. These are key pillars of 21st-century informal learning. At Adventure Science Center, we achieve this by providing experiences for our audiences that both align with the latest scientific discoveries and make learning fun.
What should we know about you?
I love to learn, explore, and discover. This includes traveling, reading books of various genres, and meeting new people from all types of industries. I’ll often ask questions about peoples’ experiences and work and get excited when we identify shared areas of curiosity. I’m motivated to find commonalities and opportunities for mutual benefit within all new collaborations and partnerships that benefit learners of all ages and reduce barriers to quality science learning. With insatiable curiosity comes endless possibilities that can be ignited through simply saying yes. In fact, my fourth book, an edited volume Teaching the Museum, leads with this concept as the introductory essay.
How did you get to your current position?
My first job in informal learning was in a children’s room at a Natural History Museum. One summer was enough to know this was the career for me. After completing my Ph.D., I took on roles with increasing responsibility, allowing me to develop new skills. Working for various organizations—a zoo, several museums, a science center, and a garden—provided me with experience in engaging diverse audiences. It also gave me a broad perspective on how these spaces contribute to community offerings. In my last role, I was responsible for multiple buildings and vehicles, volunteers, and educational programs. It was the perfect training ground for the CEO role I have today at Adventure Science Center.
What value do you see in Chamber involvement?
New to Nashville, participation in Chamber activities and programs has been a wonderful way for me to begin building my professional network. It’s been a valuable resource for learning more about the city and the influential leaders and organizations that make up the community. We are currently expanding our commitment to infusing career awareness and workforce development into our exhibit design and programming in alignment with the increasing need for STEM literacy in current and future job markets. Membership in the Chamber gives me direct connections to industries that align closely with the concepts and critical thinking integrated into our educational initiatives.
What do you enjoy most about being a leader?
My very favorite part of leadership is the opportunity to envision an organization’s future and establish a strategic plan and pathway for achieving that vision. While I am quick to celebrate wins as they happen, I know how important a holistic view is to institutional success. When I work with a dynamic and empowered team to set this forward direction, it’s invigorating, especially on behalf of a not-for-profit that benefits the public.
No path forward is without challenges, so I also enjoy being a catalyst for identifying and implementing solutions through motivating the team to work collaboratively. Breaking down barriers to progress into components that are more easily addressed and overcome is a personal strength and an approach in which the whole team can be involved.
How do you stay engaged in the community?
I am finishing my first year in Nashville and one of my favorite parts about living in this community is the broad range of opportunities to connect with others. I’m a member of Rotary Club of Nashville and have enjoyed hearing presentations from leaders in the community, meeting new people over lunch, and the service events with Second Harvest. I also belong to a women’s breakfast club, which is a wonderful way to connect with women working across different industries here in the community. I’ve become a member of many local cultural institutions and enjoy proximity to state-of-the-art performance venues.
My role at Adventure Science Center has been a fantastic way to engage with the community. I love hearing stories from people about how the science center has been a longstanding part of their family experiences, spanning generations. Attending various events as a representative of the science center has provided me with unique opportunities to learn more about other non-profits in the community and gain a deeper understanding of Nashville’s commercial sector. Building a broad network of professionals has been invaluable for staying connected to local events and being informed about timely topics.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? What is the best part of working in your field?
Watching a child’s face light up when they engage with one of our exhibits is an incredible feeling. Their excitement is truly palpable as is the joy in response on the faces of their parents and caregivers. Waking up every day and knowing that what I do has a positive impact on so many people is by far the most rewarding part of my job. Informal learning is such a special career path where our primary focus is in service to the community. Whether it’s caring for museum collections, conserving wildlife at a zoo, or, in our case, curating dynamic experiences that actively engage learners to promote science literacy in fun and challenging ways, we are dedicated to a life of service.
After over 30 years within the field, I have served in many roles. Another extremely rewarding aspect of my job as President and CEO is the opportunity to empower an incredible team in service of our mission to open every mind to the wonders of science and technology. As with many fields, we attract a passionate and committed workforce, brimming with creativity and extensive experience. Creating opportunities and platforms for this dedicated team is essential to the exceptional visitor experience they create.
What is the best advice you have received?
When I was a graduate student, I had a colleague and friend who was always engaged with exciting and motivating projects. I asked how I might have a career path that was as dynamic as hers and she explained to say yes as much as possible. Even when you are not entirely sure about next steps, lean into saying yes, and figuring it out later. There are some limits to this; for instance, I never agreed to try my hand at brain surgery, but I did start saying yes to invitations, projects, collaborations, and partnerships despite a learning curve that may have been out of my comfort zone. This philosophy resulted in experiences ranging from being a keynote speaker for a zoo conference in England to launching an education innovation center. Say yes and figure it out later helps me work outside my immediate comfort zone to embrace opportunity and has benefits far beyond me.
We recently hosted Tennessee Kids Belong for a program and the advice they gave to us, to best support these children within the foster care system, was to say yes as much as possible. Creating an atmosphere of possibility and empowering people to explore and discover is the other side of saying yes that can be incredibly impactful. I’ve taken this advice and made it a core part of my leadership, striving to say yes to ideas my team presents, saying yes to opportunities for collaboration and embracing the concept of pilot programs. This is a wonderful way to try new ideas at an appropriate scale and make data driven decisions on future directions.
