WASHINGTON, D.C., USA – The Association of Science and Technology Center (ASTC) is pleased to welcome new officers and members of its Board of Directors, who will assume their positions at the conclusion of the ASTC Annual Conference on September 8, 2025. The Board provides direction to ASTC, which represents organizations committed to public engagement with science, including a core membership of more than 600 science and technology centers and museums and allied organizations in more than 40 countries around the world. ASTC has a vision of increased understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people.
The new Board members join at a critical moment for the association as ASTC continues to deeply engage its community around its next strategic direction, with the framework set to launch in 2026.
Four leaders were elected as officers of the association and will serve two-year terms:
Erin Graham, MBA, JD, will begin a two-year term as Chair of the ASTC Board of Directors. She is President and CEO of Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon, and previously served as the Chair-Elect of the ASTC Board and a Member at Large on the ASTC Executive Committee.
Sam Dean, has been elected the new Chair-Elect of the ASTC Board. He is Chief Executive Officer of Scott Family Amazeum in Bentonville, AR and previously served as a Member at Large on the ASTC Executive Committee.
Christian Greer has been elected the new Secretary. He is President and CEO of Michigan Science Center in Detroit, Michigan, and previously served as a Director.
Adalene “Nene” Spivy, MBA, has been reelected to another two-year term as Treasurer. She is Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Science Center and Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation in Fairfax, Virginia, and previously served as a Director.
Tim Ritchie, MPA, JD, is now the Immediate Past Chair. He is the Gwill York President of Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts. He previously served as Chair.
These new officers are joined by seven new directors, who have been elected to three-year terms on the Board:
Paul Backhouse
Senior Director
Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Environmental Protection Office
Clewiston, Florida
Rayanne Darensbourg
CEO
Children’s Museum Houston
Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center
Houston, Texas
Sean Decatur, PhD
President
American Museum of Natural History
New York, New York
Benjamin Dickow
President & Executive Director
Columbia Memorial Space Center
Downey, California
Matt Hayes
President & CEO
The Museum of Flight
Seattle, Washington
Mikko Myllykoski
CEO
Heureka, Finnish Science Centre
Vantaa, Finland
Elizabeth Pierce
President & CEO
Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati, Ohio
“ASTC is delighted to welcome these outstanding science center and museum leaders to our Board of Directors,” said Christofer Nelson, ASTC’s President and CEO. “Their insight and experience come at a pivotal moment—for science, for museums, and for the public’s engagement with science and technology across every aspect of our lives. Together, they will help guide ASTC’s leadership of the field and strengthen the impact of science centers and museums around the world.”
Two Board members were re-elected to a second term as Directors:
Sara Schapiro
Executive Director
Alliance for Learning Innovation
Washington, DC
Lori Bettison-Varga
President and Director
Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, California
They will join continuing members, including Chieko Asakawa (Chief Executive Director, Miraikan, The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Tokyo, Japan) ; Michele Crowl (Executive Director, Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania, State College, Pennsylvania); Jason Cryan (Executive Director, The Natural History Museum of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah); Robin Gose (President and CEO, MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, Santa Babara, California); Ashley Larose (CEO, Science North, Ontario, Canada); Tara MacDougall (President and CEO, Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, Murfreesboro, Tennessee); Andrés Roldán (Director, Parque Explora, Medellín, Columbia) ;and María Emilia Beyer Ruiz (Director, Universum, Museo de las Ciencias de la UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico).
ASTC is grateful for the dedicated service of six individuals whose terms have concluded:
- William T. Harris (President and CEO, Space Center Houston, Texas), who is the Immediate Past Chair
- Rena Dorph, PhD (Director, The Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, California), who is a Director
- Robert Firmhofer (Chief Executive Officer, The Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw, Poland), who is concluding his term as Secretary
- Doug Jones (Director, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, Florida), who is a Director
- JoAnn Newman (President and CEO, Orlando Science Center, Orlando, Florida), who is a Director
- Curtis Simmons (President and CEO, Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines), who is a Director
About ASTC
Founded in 1973, ASTC is a network of more than 600 science and technology centers and museums, and allied organizations, engaging more than 110 million people annually across North America and in more than 40 countries. With its members and partners, ASTC works towards a vision of increased understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people. www.astc.org
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