Discovery Museum promotes executive with history of fundraising success to CEO
PHOTO | Courtesy of Discovery Museum
Marie Beam assumed the role of CEO at Discovery Museum on Jan. 1.
Discovery Museum in Acton will have a new CEO in January, when current chief development officer Marie Beam steps into the role. Beam will take over the role held by Neil Gordon for 14 years.
“She brings a vision for our future that builds upon Discovery Museum’s many strengths with an eye towards the issues affecting kids and families and how best to support them,” Discovery Museum Board President Harry Hollenberg said in a Wednesday press release. “In searching for our next CEO, the Board spent more than six months on a thoughtful, detailed, competitive, and rigorous selection process, resulting in our enthusiastic choice of Marie to lead Discovery Museum. We are very confident in Marie’s ability to position Discovery Museum for continued leadership both in our community and more broadly in the museum field nationwide.”
Beam has been CDO at Discovery Museum since 2013. She oversaw a five-year campaign, started that year, which funded a large-scale reimagining of the museum’s campus and brought in $8.8 million, according to the press release. During her tenure as CDO, the museum’s annual fund giving increased from $286,000 in the year before her arrival to $1 million in 2022.
The museum announced Gordon’s retirement in January, stating his last official day will be Dec. 31.
Founded in 1982, Discovery Museum has 65 employees and $11.3 million in assets, according to the nonprofit data provider Guidestar. In 2021, the museum had $4.4 million in total revenue, including admissions and fundraising.
Before joining the executive team at Discovery Museum, Beam was director of advancement at Fay School in Southborough. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Simmons College in Boston.
“In a time when we need more curious and creative problem solvers, Discovery Museum is helping thousands of kids each year to explore their world confidently and recognize their own abilities to make a difference,” Beam said in the press release. “It is an honor to be chosen to lead this wonderful organization and its extraordinary staff in its fifth decade of service to the children and families of our region.”
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments