With more than 1.8 million objects in the collection, there is much to care for.
If you haven’t visited lately, let our Daytonian of the Week tell you why you should.
What is your background and what brought you to Dayton?
I was born and raised in Weatherford, Texas, then married Ed just over 30 years ago. We have lived all over including Germany, England, Colorado, California, and New Mexico. After he retired, I transitioned from being a classroom teacher into the informal education world. I have always had a love of learning and teaching in the sciences, working with animals, and of course, travel. We moved to Dayton from Kansas where I was the Chief Operating Officer for the Kansas Cosmosphere, a Smithsonian affiliated space science museum.
The CEO position for the Dayton Society of Natural History is what brought us to Dayton. We both wholeheartedly agree, that Dayton is a great fit for us! Ed can work in the defense industry while I can enjoy continuing my career in museum leadership.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
My bachelor’s degree is in animal science while much of my museum experience is in space studies so of course coming to the Boonshoft Museum is an amazing fit for me. Our zoo is small and yet robust enough to meet American Zoological Association standards. The planetarium, observatory, and Hall of the Universe are my comfort zone while much of our collection is all new territory for me. So I guess I enjoy most being able to leverage my past knowledge and experiences while also being able to learn fascinating new things.
What do you wish everyone knew about the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery that we might not know?
We have over 1.8 million objects in our collections. The museum is typically known by local families as a great place to take the kids for some indoor, educational fun. Nothing wrong with that, but we are so much more! I love hosting tours of the collection vaults as I always learn something new. The collections include many amazing pieces from all over the world brought back by Daytonians along with even more items from the early residents of Dayton.
Researchers contact us often to request access to many of these collections especially to study anthropological objects from SunWatch.
SunWatch is an amazing place full of fascinating stories. It started as a salvage excavation and the site was ultimately saved by local Dayton citizens. Today, it has reconstructed elements placed on the exact archaeological footprint, which is extremely unique. That is a fascinating story in itself. We are placing more focus on our collections and ensuring that a visit to the museum or SunWatch are educational and engaging for visitors of all ages. I guess the best-kept secret might be, you don’t need children to have a fantastic visit at the Boonshoft, you just need to book a collections tour with our knowledgeable curators.
What is your favorite exhibit at the museum and why?
This is a tough question. I truly enjoy the exhibits, views from the Tree House, the laughter of children learning while playing, and the zoo, but I guess if I have to pick, I’ll go with the cloud chamber exhibit in the Hall of the Universe. This is a fascinating exhibit that allows the visitor to see the un-seeable. Tiny supersonic particles that come from our Sun and deep outer space. They are so small and fast they zip right through us and everything around us. They can cause damage to electronics and have other adverse effects but luckily most are blocked by our atmosphere. The exhibit sits active but quiet in the Sun Room. Check it out!
What’s been your most recent professional challenge, and how did you push through the challenge?
Funding for museums is never easy. They are expensive to run. You need well-educated staff, constant exhibit maintenance and updates, and exotic animals are expensive to feed, house, and provide exemplary health care for. We obviously cannot charge what it costs us so ticket sales and memberships are critical but still not enough to cover all expenses. When we add a new exhibit or rebuild one, it is very costly. We are currently working to raise funds to completely update the Bieser Classroom. It will be transformed into the Bieser Room of Wonders. The entire project costs are just over $1M. That may seem crazy but the project requires removal of the current objects, snake cage, and cabinetry, updates to the ceiling, electrical, flooring, and so on. Then you put in new furniture, casework, and interactives that are durable enough for over 200,000 visitors a year for the next 10 to 15 years, yet appealing and engaging to the visitor. It’s a tough balance. I’ve heard it described as needing to “look like a country club and wear like a prison.”
We have several plans that would increase the visitor experience, bring more objects out for the public to engage with, add more interactives for young visitors, and increase safety. To do all of this takes long-term vision, constant fundraising, and community support. The museum has relied heavily on the endowment for operations in the past. Over the past few years, the board has put a strong emphasis on protecting and re-growing the endowment. We had truly just managed to right-size staff and focus on a strong strategic plan when COVID-19 hit. Now we regroup and work with the current situation. I have no doubt that while this will mean a slow down toward the new projects, we will come out stronger. Seeing the creativity and courage of our teams across departments and both locations is inspiring and gives me great confidence we have the right people in the right places to continue as an asset to the Dayton community for many years to come.
We’ve all had a chance to reflect during the pandemic. What have you found to be positive during this time?
I am truly inspired by how well so many people have adapted to the new conditions. It’s like you think times are tough and we have so much to balance and stress to handle. Then COVID-19 happens and somehow we handle that as well. Not just get through it, but possibly improve from it! I am amazed to see the creativity, ingenuity, and determination I have seen from co-workers, neighbors, friends, local businesses, and our local restaurants; it’s incredible!
What inspires you about the Dayton area?
When I was first contacted about this position, I knew very little about Dayton. My husband had been here on business but I had not. I asked him what he thought about moving to Dayton and he said, “I love Dayton!” Once I visited, I was sold as well. I was immediately impressed by the friendly, helpful nature of those who live and work here, the arts and culture, and the icing on the cake for me was the Metro Parks. It’s just such a great place! I love the four seasons, you can grow things, people are honest and friendly, there is so much to do inside and outside, and you can get to the country or the big city in no time at all. We’ve driven to DC and Chicago, and have a long list of other places we want to see near here.
What would your perfect Dayton date be?
Our perfect Dayton date starts with dinner at the Oakwood Club with friends, then off to enjoy a DPAA symphony at the Schuster, and then a few laughs as we discuss the amazing local talent we just witnessed while enjoying the ambiance and variety of the Century Bar. Have I mentioned I’ve gained a few pounds since we moved here?
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