Experience

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

• United States
• Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Assistant Director (Acting), Education and Experience

  • Feb 2023 - Present

  Designed and manage a new 20-person, multidisciplinary department focusing on audience, exhibition, experience, and preK-12 education as part of a larger museum-wide reorganization. Collaborated with the Deputy Director of Public History to create a new unsiloed work culture with transparent work processes and increased communication. Conducted workshops to establish criteria, scope, and process for the new department’s work. Directed the creation of an audience plan that enacts the goals of the museum's strategic plan. Wrote a quick turnaround funding proposal that resulted in a seven-million-dollar endowment for education and public programming. Establish and manage collaborative relationships with other museums, Smithsonian units, schools, and youth-serving organizations. Co-lead the Smithsonian’s strategic initiative on education technology. Coordinate and steward the museum’s relationship with the Smithsonian’s Undersecretary for Education. Show less

• A. James Clark Director, Education & Impact

  • Jun 2014 - Present

  Was selected to become the museum's first endowed Director of Education. Designed effective strategies that enabled a small team to train over 3,000 teachers annually, develop hundreds of preK-12 online resources, and reach thousands of teens across the nation with National Youth Summits. Developed a civic learning strategy that unified the museum’s approach to programs and educational resources for preK-12 students. Served on the national steering committee for the Educating for American Democracy (EAD) Roadmap, to develop an inquiry framework that weaves history and civics together and inspires students to learn by asking compelling questions and seeking answers through facts and discussion. Co-chair a national EAD Community Learning Partners task force made up of dozens of history organizations interested in helping schools implement the EAD Roadmap. Created evaluation criteria for and managed program evaluations. Tracked, analyzed, and made decisions based on Webtrends and Google Analytics data. Awards: Preparing for the Oath (website) - Best in Class (Government), Best in Class (Education) from the Interactive Media Awards and EdCom Award for Excellence in Resources, American Alliance of Museums. Ripped Apart: A Civil War Mystery (mobile app)- MUSE Award and AASL Best App for Teaching and Learning. Smithsonian's History Explorer (website)- Best of the Web from the Center for Digital Education. Tracking the Buffalo (website) - Best of the Web from the Center for Digital Education. Show less

• Associate Director (Acting), Audience Engagement

  • Jul 2020 - Feb 2023

  Managed daily operations of a 44-person division focused on engaging audiences via public programs, visitor services, digital experiences, exhibitions, and educational materials. Created and managed a nine-million-dollar operating budget and supervised eight direct reports. Directed the work of teams responsible for interpretive planning, digital products, experience design, preK-12 curricula, accessibility, visitor services, inclusion and diversity, and civic engagement. Prepared documents and presentations for the museum's successful AAM Reaccreditation in 2021. Joined the museum's Senior Leadership Team during the pandemic, leading the museum’s successful pivot to digital-only programs. Developed staff safety plans and alternative work processes to adapt to a 100% remote work environment and later to safely reopen and operate the museum under COVID-19 health protocols. Represented the museum at White House meetings, and professional conferences. Show less

• Deputy Associate Director of Audience Engagement

  • Sep 2016 - Jul 2020

  Co-led a 60-person division and 500-person volunteer corps focused on engaging audiences via public programs, digital experiences, exhibitions, and educational materials. Created and managed a nine-million-dollar operating budget and supervised four direct reports. Formulated successful fundraising proposals, program goals, strategic and tactical plans, and impact evaluation plans to enable efficient division operations. Concurrently remained the A. James Clark Director of Education and Impact and directed the work of the preK-12 Education, Exhibition Development, and Digital Experience teams. In 2019, performed a 35% detail to the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and co-developed their "Because of Her Story" undergraduate internship program, revised their internal grant funding program administration, created the position description for the initiative's Head of Education, and wrote successful funding proposals to support their work. Conducted a Congressional briefing on the initiative's progress. Awarded Smithsonian’s Education Achievement Award “Educator of the Year” in 2017. Show less

• Associate Director, Education & Public Engagement (Acting)

  • May 2016 - Sep 2016

  Managed and directed the work of a 30-person division responsible for engaging audiences via digital experiences, exhibitions, and educational materials. This department merged with the Office of Public Programs to create the Office of Audience Engagement in 2016.

• Chief, Education Outreach

  • Jan 2011 - Jun 2014

  Built and managed a diverse team of museum educators responsible for developing preK-12 teacher professional development, online learning materials, curricula, and student programs. Conceptualized, co-designed, and managed the "Let's Do History" tour, a highly interactive teacher training program that traveled to underserved and rural communities across the nation. Initiated a collaboration with Scholastic Books and co-developed a digital field trip that introduced nearly 200,000 elementary students to the museum using primary source objects and connections to "The 39 Clues" book series. Designed social media campaigns, live presentations, and promotional strategies to increase use of the museum's preK-12 web resources by 104 % over 5 years. Wrote gift and grant proposals resulting in more than nine million dollars in funding for museum programs. Researched and wrote Ripped Apart: A Civil War Mystery, iPad app and provided instructional design and project management (Contracting Officer's Technical Representative) for Preparing for the Oath an award-winning website that helps aspiring U.S. citizens study for their naturalization test. Convened a partnership of all three September 11th memorial sites and produced a free, 2-day online training conference that reached over 3,000 teachers. Reconceptualized a one-time, in-person youth program serving a few hundred students to create an annual National Youth Summit live-streamed program that reaches thousands of youth annually. Co-developed and taught a summer teacher institute with the Civil War Trust to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Show less

• Education Technologist

  • May 2007 - Jan 2011

  Conceptualized Smithsonian's History Explorer and OurStory digital learning websites and managed their design and development. Applied relevant learning theory to design and conduct public programs and digital resources. Conducted focus groups, visitor studies and program evaluation. Conceptualized and prototyped outdoor audio programs, podcasts, and mobile device tours as well as the museum’s first multi-lingual exhibition. Researched and wrote public history content as an Interpretive Planner on a variety of museum exhibitions. Researched and produced web-based and interactive history learning resources, and lesson plans for K-12 teachers and students. Wrote a grant proposal that resulted in a seven-year, multimillion-dollar funding relationship with the Verizon Foundation's Thinkfinity program. Show less



The George Washington University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Adjunct Faculty, Museum Technology

  • Jan 2008 - May 2013

  Designed and taught Museums and Technology, a graduate level course that explored existing and emerging technologies of use to museums. Designed hands-on student activities featuring podcasting, social media writing, game design, and kiosk, mobile app, and website development. Course themes included: audience-centered design, sustainability, open-access, collaboration, and evaluation. Designed and taught Museums and Technology, a graduate level course that explored existing and emerging technologies of use to museums. Designed hands-on student activities featuring podcasting, social media writing, game design, and kiosk, mobile app, and website development. Course themes included: audience-centered design, sustainability, open-access, collaboration, and evaluation.



Redmon Group Inc

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Exhibit Developer/Instructional Designer

  • Mar 2000 - Jun 2005

  Responsible for creating budgets and client proposals, project management, interpretive planning, interactive exhibit design, software authoring, media production, and instructional design. Supervised teams of software developers, graphic designers, media producers, and instructional designers to create e-learning for clients. Key accomplishments include designing interactive exhibits for the Museum of Science and Industry's U-505 submarine exhibition and for the Edventure Children's Museum. Also designed e-learning courseware for the World Bank, Department of Defense, and Reading Is Fundamental. Show less



Verizon

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Multimedia Specialist/Instructional Designer

  • Mar 1993 - Mar 2000

  Designed and managed the company's instructional media lab and worked on a five-year effort to transition it from an in-person training model to a fully digital and e-learning operation. Duties included: instructional design, software authoring, video production, digital video capture/compression, scriptwriting, and photography. Designed and managed the company's instructional media lab and worked on a five-year effort to transition it from an in-person training model to a fully digital and e-learning operation. Duties included: instructional design, software authoring, video production, digital video capture/compression, scriptwriting, and photography.



GP Strategies Corporation

• United States
• Business Consulting and Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Producer/Director(Learning Media)

  • 1987 - 1993

  Managed the General Physics Corporation's video department and wrote, produced, and directed over fifty training and informational video programs for corporate, government, and military clients. Delivered every project on-time and within budget. Held Department of Defense and Department of Energy clearances. Managed the General Physics Corporation's video department and wrote, produced, and directed over fifty training and informational video programs for corporate, government, and military clients. Delivered every project on-time and within budget. Held Department of Defense and Department of Energy clearances.