Nearing its 10-year milestone, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science (perotmuseum.org) has hit the accelerate button and this year’s fundraising gala is going to soar higher than ever before. We caught up with the trio at the helm—Karen Katz, Lindsay Billingsley and Talene Kozanian.
Luminous skies surround the museum.
What has been your favorite part of working with the museum thus far? KK: As chair of the Perot Museum’s board of directors, I’ve come to understand how extensive and creative our educational outreach is. It is incredibly gratifying to see the passion and devotion to our mission of inspiring minds through nature and science.
Tell us a bit more on how you first got involved to chair. LB: I have always loved the Perot Museum. I remember attending the very first Night at the Museum hoping I would have an opportunity to chair it one day. The museum was looking for a next-generation leader and, given my interest in making education accessible for all, I fit the bill.
What are you most excited about? TK: Working with the event co-chairs and the museum’s events team as this group shares our vision of bringing STEM learning to children of all ages and backgrounds through innovative and interactive experiences.
Can you expand on the museum’s efforts moving forward? LB: We have been working on ways to get the next generation more engaged. This includes exclusive opportunities for members and their families that we will roll out over the next 12 months.
Best advice that you have ever received that has been a driving force? TK: Make a thoughtful decision about where you want to be. When you’ve arrived, give yourself the gift of being fully present.
Tell us more about the 10-year milestone that’s just around the corner. KK: The Perot Museum’s 10th anniversary launches at the Nov. 13, 2021, Night at the Museum and will be a yearlong celebration filled with surprises along the way. We will announce a series of 10 community engagements centered around the museum’s outreach programs and designed to reach new and diverse audiences in unexpected ways. The museum has an important role to play in inspiring students as they begin to imagine their futures—this is a point we want to make across the year of the 10th anniversary.
Photography by: COURTESY OF THE PEROT MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE
