press release
National Children’s Museum Announces New Board Leadership
September 12, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
– New Appointments Recognize the Institution’s Commitment to Community Engagement and Innovation –
WASHINGTON — National Children’s Museum, a nationally-recognized cultural institution dedicated to STEAM and play-based learning in downtown Washington, D.C., is pleased to announce the results of new Board leadership appointments made during their Annual Meeting.
The Museum has appointed Robert M. Volmer as Board Chair and Stephanie Beyer Kirby as Vice Chair. The Board also approved two new appointments for Committee Chairs: Shelley Goode as Development Committee Chair and Greg Principato as Finance Committee Chair. Additionally, Jeanie Lee was approved to serve her second term as Engagement Advisory Committee Chair. These leaders are joining Board officers Treasurer Paul Monsees andSecretary Nelson Peña.
“After the first year of continuous operation in our new home, the Museum is in a strong position and poised to make a deeper impact in the community and across the country,” said President and CEO, Crystal R. Bowyer. “A highly engaged and deeply skilled Board of Trustees is essential to continuing our work to inspire children to care about and change the world. These new officers are incredible leaders and we are honored and thrilled to have their passion, support, and diverse skill sets as we prepare to extend the legacy of the institution and sustain our work for decades to come.”
Robert “Rob” Volmer is the founder of Fundrayse, a firm providing strategic donor research services to nonprofits. He is also the Co-Owner of Victus Study Skills System, a platform where students and teachers can access courses and materials developed by educators to reinforce effective studying. Previously, Mr. Volmer founded and led a public relations firm for more than 20 years, providing strategic communications counsel to companies, nonprofit organizations, and associations. As Chair, Mr. Volmer will bring extensive communications, nonprofit leadership, and data analytics experience. He has served on the Museum’s Board of Trustees since 2015 and previously held the positions of Governance Chair and Vice Chair. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Volmer lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three children.
Stephanie Beyer Kirby is the immediate Past Chair of the Board at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Inova Alexandria Hospital Quality and Safety Committee. Ms. Beyer Kirby spent 15 years as a member of the Executive Leadership Team of the Beyer Auto Group where she primarily focused on Operations and Strategic Initiatives. She is the recipient of the Together We Rise and Generations of Giving Awards for her community work. Ms. Beyer Kirby joined the Museum’s Board of Trustees in 2019 and has served as the Governance Chair. She resides with her husband and their two children in Alexandria, Virginia.
Shelley Goode leads fundraising initiatives as the Chief Development Officer for The KIPP Foundation. With 30 years of experience in fundraising, marketing and communications, and nonprofit leadership, Ms. Goode has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for some of the world’s largest and most respected institutions including Oxfam America, Volunteers of America, the Smithsonian Institution, Spelman College, Syracuse University, and Johns Hopkins University. She currently serves on the boards of The College of William & Mary Foundation and the Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust (MS GIFT). Ms. Goode joined the Board of Trustees in spring of 2022. Ms. Goode and her husband raised their son in Arlington, Virginia, where they currently reside.
Greg Principato is the President and CEO of the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), where he leads all aspects of organizational management, including finance. Previous to his work at NAA, Mr. Principato served as President and CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) and as President and CEO of Airports Council International, North America (ACI-NA), overseeing the leading association of airports and airport-related businesses in North America. Mr. Principato has extensive experience in aviation and transportation policy, working on the staff of U.S. Senators J. Bennett Johnson and Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Virginia Governor Gerald L. Baliles. Mr. Principato joined the Board of Trustees in 2019, serving on the Development and Finance Committees. He resides in Ohio with his wife.
Jeanie Lee serves as the Head of Partnership Expansion at the XQ Institute, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience. Ms. Lee brings extensive experience in educational leadership: In former roles, Ms. Lee was the President and Executive Director of the DC Public Education Fund, the Chief of Staff in the Office of Teaching and Learning at District of Columbia Public Schools, and the Director of Education for Fight for Children. Ms. Lee is a former elementary educator and is fluent in Korean and Spanish. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2019 and has led the Engagement Advisory Committee since 2020. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her twin boys.
The Museum celebrates and recognizes the outstanding leadership of two outgoing Trustees: LuAnn Bennett and Richard “Dick” Snowdon. LuAnn Bennett served the Museum for ten years, joining the Museum’s Board of Trustees in 2012 during the opening of the National Harbor, Maryland, location. She led the search for the Museum’s new home in the District of Columbia and made key introductions to supporters like the Embassy of Qatar, who provided a $2 million sponsorship of the Museum’s signature Dream Machine climber + slide. For the past three years, Bennett was the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Dick Snowdon is a founding Trustee of the institution, joining the Board in 1974 and serving as the first Board Chair. Both Bennett and Snowdon were critical members of the search committee for the institution’s new leadership and downtown location, which opened in February 2020. The Museum celebrates their incredible contributions and commitment to inspiring the next generation of innovators through play-based, STEAM learning.
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About National Children’s Museum
STEAM adventure awaits at National Children’s Museum, located in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C.! With a mission to inspire children to care about and change the world, the Museum sparks curiosity and ignites creativity for children under the age of twelve and their families. Through playful science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) based exhibits, programs, and virtual offerings, the Museum reaches millions of people each year. Learn more and plan your visit at nationalchildrensmuseum.org.
