Staff

The Museum of Discovery has a full-time staff who manage all aspects of our operations. Below are the members of the museum team.

Staff
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Kelley Bass

Chief Executive Officer

Kelley Bass

Chief Executive Officer

Fun Facts:

Celebrity Doppelganger: Larry Bird

Most ridiculous fact Kelley knows: “714 is the number of home runs Babe Ruth hit, the number on Joe Friday’s badge on “Dragnet” and the number printed on a Quaalude.”

Voted most likely to finish the chips and salsa

Go-to karaoke song: “Brandy” by Looking Glass

Admissions/Explore Store

Jackie Reese

Admissions and Explore Store Assistant Manager

Jackie Reese

Admissions and Explore Store Assistant Manager

Fun Facts:

Weirdest thing in home: “Probably me.”

Superhero power would be: Flight

If Jackie could only watch one show for the rest of her life, she would choose “Columbo.” “Does that tell my age?”

Believes pineapple does belong on pizza

DIY Question: “Who is your favorite co-worker? Of course, I am everyone’s favorite!”

Kirsten Rasmussen

Admissions Coordinator

Kirsten Rasmussen

Admissions Coordinator

Fun Facts:

Irrational fear: Opening a toilet seat to find a snake

Go-to karaoke song: “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus

Dog breed most like: “Husky. I’ve got a lot of hair and I start hollering for no apparent reason.”

Most ridiculous fact Kirsten knows: “The Grecian Philosopher Plato was actually very muscular. ‘Plato’ as a name itself means ‘broad-shouldered’ and in a majority of debates Plato would be flexing his muscles to either intimidate his opponent or to just show off.

Development

Melissa Stiles

Chief Development Officer

Melissa Stiles

Chief Development Officer

Fun Facts:

If Melissa were a nail polish, she’d be named Wild West Red

Song to describe personality: “Melissa” by the Allman Brothers

If she could only watch one show for the rest of her life, she’d watch “Ted Lasso”

Least favorite sports team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Believes that pineapple does not belong on pizza

Brooks Toney

Community Engagement Coordinator

Brooks Toney

Community Engagement Coordinator

Fun Facts:

Celebrity Doppelganger: Bernie Sanders

Irrational Fear: White food

Go-To Karaoke Song: “Man in the Mirror”

Owns four pairs of shoes

Margaret Lake

Development and Membership Coordinator

Margaret Lake

Development and Membership Coordinator

Fun Facts:

Sews own clothes

Superhero power of choice: “Teleportation! Breakfast in London, lunch in Tokyo, dinner in Italy– yes, please!”

Song that best describes personality: “Dreams” by The Cranberries

If Margaret were a nail polish, she’d be named Moody Opal

Education

Brittney Kugler Reynolds

Director of STEAM Initiatives

Brittney Kugler Reynolds

Director of STEAM Initiatives

Fun Facts:

Celebrity doppelganger: Amber Tamblyn

Irrational fear: A snake coming up through her toilet

Voted most likely to stalk Steve Martin

Museum of Discovery Animal Ambassador kindred spirit: “Joe Dirt the hognose snake–I’m short and like to hide under layers of blankets, like his dirt, and avoid people looking at me.”

Wrong answers only. Finish the sentence: Life is like “an egg salad sandwich. Sometimes it’s really good but sometimes it stinks.”

Thomas Lipham

Program Director

Thomas Lipham

Program Director

Fun Facts:

Irrational fear: An inaccurate and unorganized spreadsheet

Secret talent: Accurately predicting Tupperware sizes for leftover food

Wanted to grow up and become financially sustainable

Wrong answers only. Finish the sentence: Life is like “a simple thing to understand.”

Skills that would lead to his survival on a deserted island: Logic and pragmatism

Meghan Kelly

Director of Museum Experiences

Meghan Kelly

Director of Museum Experiences

Fun Facts:

Celebrity doppelganger: Amber Tamblyn

Irrational fear: “An odd number of M&M’s. They must be eaten in pairs. I’m not sure what happens if you eat only one, but I think it’s bad.”

Three fictional characters that best describe Meghan: Ms. Frizzle, Honey Lemon, Art3mis

Tell me you work at the Museum of Discovery, without telling me you work at the Museum of Discovery: “I have a tank of hydrogen, a lighter, and several testable ideas…”

Carly Cate

Guest Experience Manager

Carly Cate

Guest Experience Manager

Fun Facts:

Least favorite food: Green beans

Weirdest thing in home: A Spine-o-later from the 1960’s

How long would Carly survive in a zombie apocalypse: “I developed a literary course on Zombies, I better make it to the end.”

Least favorite sports team: Yankees

Beth Nelsen

Program Coordinator

Beth Nelsen

Program Coordinator

Fun Facts:

Voted most likely to be on time or answer the phone

Least favorite food: Spinach

Used to LOVE car racing

Would survive the zombie apocalypse by “finding a way to make it work for me.”

Three fictional characters that describe Beth: Wonder Woman, Mary Tyler Moore and Fairy Godmother

Sommer Murphy

Early Learner Specialist

Sommer Murphy

Early Learner Specialist

Fun Facts:

Go-to karaoke song: “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette

Least favorite food: Cilantro

Wanted to grow up to become a FBI hostage negotiator

Weirdest thing in home: “A bag of my husband’s hair. I was supposed to donate it like 10 years ago and never did.”

Three fictional characters that best describe Sommer: Kitty Forman, Marge Simpson and Hermione Granger

Nichole Ashley

Animal Care Manager

Nichole Ashley

Animal Care Manager

Fun Facts:

Irrational fear: Claymation movies

Wanted to grow up and become a dragon

Museum of Discovery Animal Ambassador kindred spirit: “Piglet the Toad!  Loves food, sleeping and Halloween decorations.”

Favorite weird food combo: Gummy peach rings and Chamoy

Steven Lemp

Educator

Steven Lemp

Educator

Fun Facts:

Celebrity doppelganger: Ed Helms, a.k.a. “Nard Dog”

Funniest thing heard at the museum:  “‘I KNEW IT! I TOLD YOU WE COULDN’T TRUST HIM,’ yelled by a camper after another camper freaked out while holding a cool bug.”

Museum of Discovery Animal Ambassador kindred spirit: “Tortuga. I love attention, I love to swim, and my skin is way too pale.”

Mascot Steven would hang with for a day: “The Apple Jacks cinnamon stick. He’s chill.”

Maddie Hibbs

Educator

Maddie Hibbs

Educator

Fun Facts:

Irrational fear: “Velvet. If it touches my skin, I will cry.”

Funniest thing heard at the museum:  “Is there science involved here or is he just getting the kids to play fetch?”

Dog breed most like: “A dachshund. Low to the ground, but way too confident.”

Museum of Discovery Animal Ambassador kindred spirit: “Eli. I also get obnoxiously loud when I don’t get the attention I think I deserve.”

Hypothetical Band Name: Home by 9

Jenny Tackett

Educator

Jenny Tackett

Educator

Fun Facts:

Irrational fear: Examples: “Microfiber touching me at any point in time or only having big spoons left in the silverware drawer.”

Owns 20 pairs of shoes, seven of which are Crocs

Museum of Discovery Animal Ambassador kindred spirit: “Marty the Bearded Dragon. Bombastic side eye, get all food delivered to me but I refuse to eat any of it, and it’s always a surprise when I move with any quickness.”

Band name would be Yeeting Beetles

Weirdest thing in Jenny’s home: “Other than my jar full of snake sheds, I have a petrified lemon that has been passed down in my family on our 21st birthdays.”

Rachel Stuckey

STEAM Studio Coordinator

Rachel Stuckey

STEAM Studio Coordinator

Fun Facts:

Funniest thing heard at the museum:  “‘I loved that but don’t ever do it again,’ said to me by a guest after I ignited a hydrogen balloon.”

Childhood stuffed animal: Frog named Turtle.

Weirdest thing in home: A collection of teeth

Tell me you work at the Museum of Discovery, without telling me you work at the Museum of Discovery: “Snakes are cuddly friends to me … now.”

Thomas "TJ" Jackson

Educator

Thomas "TJ" Jackson

Educator

Fun Facts:

Irrational fear: Zombie Apocalypse

How long would TJ survive in a zombie apocalypse: “I wanna say forever, but I don’t run fast…”

Funniest thing heard working at the museum: “I’m giving the Tornado Alley Theater a one-star because it’s scary.

Can bend his thumb behind his knuckle

Skill that would lead to his survival on a deserted island: “I keep coming back to the bendable thumb thing… There is something there.”

Seth Cheshier

Educator

Seth Cheshier

Educator

Fun Facts:

Wanted to grow up and become a comedian

Childhood stuffed animal: “Who told you I slept with a stuffed animal?! (It was a bunny named Bunny that my Nana made.)”

Superhero power of choice: Invincibility

Favorite weird food combo: Peanut butter and jalapenos

Tell me you work at the Museum of Discovery, without telling me you work at the Museum of Discovery: “I carried around a snake and lit my hand on fire at work today … on purpose (but not at the same time.)”

Sam Currier

Educator

Sam Currier

Educator

Fun Facts:

Celebrity doppelganger: “Someone once told me Natalie Portman, and even if that isn’t totally accurate, I will accept no other answers.”

Go-to karaoke song: “I Love Rock n Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Voted most likely to rule the universe. “I feel as if I would make a fair and diplomatic overlord.”

Favorite color and favorite shade/hue of that color: Green/pine trees

Facilities/Exhibits

Josh Annett

Facilities/Exhibits Director

Josh Annett

Facilities/Exhibits Director

Fun Facts:

Go-to karaoke song: “My Maria”

Least favorite sports team: Philadelphia Eagles (any PA Team)

Dog breed most like: Rottweiler

Mascot Josh would hang with for a day: Bevo (University of Texas)

Ryan Binning

Traveling Exhibits Manager

Ryan Binning

Traveling Exhibits Manager

Fun Facts:

Celebrity Doppelganger: David Koresh

Funniest thing heard at the museum:  Josh Annett and Myles Pickett singing “My Maria”

Funniest thing witnessed working at the museum: Josh Annett and Myles Pickett singing “My Maria”

Childhood stuffed animal: A tiny dalmatian named Porkchop

Most ridiculous fact Ryan knows:  Hippopotamonstrosesquipedaliaphobia is the fear of long words

Tyrone Cooper

Facilities Care Tech

Tyrone Cooper

Facilities Care Tech

Fun Facts:

Dog breed most like: Wolf dog

Tyrone is a violinist.

Skill that would lead to his survival on a deserted island: Construction

Least favorite sports team: Cincinnati Bengals

Believes pineapples belong on a pizza.

Myles Pickett

Facilities Tech

Myles Pickett

Facilities Tech

Fun Facts:

Funniest thing heard at the museum:  “I can’t remember everything I say.”

Three fictional characters that best describe Myles: Han Solo, Vito Corleone and Tom Sawyer

Favorite weird food combo: Hot Cheetos and cottage cheese

Go-to emoji: Exploding unicorn head

Ramon Alvarado

Exhibit and Facilities Tech

Ramon Alvarado

Exhibit and Facilities Tech

Fun Facts:

How long would Ramon survive in a zombie apocalypse: “Till it ended”

Thinks pineapple does not belong on pizza

Hypothetical band name would be “None Given”

Ricardo Jimenez

Facilities Care Tech

Ricardo Jimenez

Facilities Care Tech

Fun Facts:

Sam Kerr

Facilities Care Tech

Sam Kerr

Facilities Care Tech

Fun Facts:

Dog breed most like: Beagle

Wanted to grow up and become a conservationist

Three fictional characters that describe Sam: Bonnie Harper from “The Craft,” The Badger from “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” and Susanna Kaysen from “Girl, Interrupted.”

Museum of Discovery Animal Ambassador kindred spirit: “Eli. He seems approachable but will draw blood.”

Finance

Lisa Paden

Chief People Officer

Lisa Paden

Chief People Officer

Fun Facts:

Wanted to grow up to become a CPA (and is a CPA.)

Weirdest thing in home: an abacus

Mascot Lisa would hang out with for a day: Dusty the Delta Air Lion “So I could travel the world.”

Favorite joke: How does Santa value his sleigh? The net present value!

Kerri Berkemeyer

Accounting/Office Manager

Kerri Berkemeyer

Accounting/Office Manager

Fun Facts:

Secret talent: Embroidery/appliqué hobby.

Would survive in a zombie apocalypse for 0.2 seconds.

Favorite weird food combo: Spaghetti with bread and butter pickles

Wanted to grow up and own a daycare (and now has a lot of grandchildren.)

Marketing

Kendall Thornton

Chief Marketing Officer

Kendall Thornton

Chief Marketing Officer

Fun Facts:

Irrational fear: Opening a can of biscuit dough.

Voted most likely to return from a beach vacation paler than when she left

Dog breed most like: “Heeler. I’m mouthy, stubborn, loyal and thrive on a farm.”

Wrong answers only. Finish the sentence: Life is like an “interstate; if you don’t stay in your lane, you’ll get wrecked.”

Skill that would lead to her survival on a deserted island: “Befriending the animals (unless they are monkeys – I do not mess with dirty Simians.)”

Keesha Bass-Motley

Digital Media Specialist

Keesha Bass-Motley

Digital Media Specialist

Fun Facts:

Go-to karaoke song: “Vision of Love” by Mariah Carey

Museum of Discovery Animal Ambassador kindred spirit: “Scarlet the snake because she loves attention, food, and a heat lamp.”

If Keesha were a nail polish, she’d be named Antique Ham

Favorite joke: “I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.” – Steven Wright

Three fictional characters that describe Keesha: Annie Hall, Bobby Hill, and Peggy Olson