Description: Meroe Park became the Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Smithsonian in 2020. She oversees day-to-day activities and major strategic initiatives across the Smithsonian. Previously, Park was the executive vice president of the Partnership for Public Service and executive director and chief operating officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. #Groundbreaker
Description: Ann M. Shumard has worked to develop the photography collection at the National Portrait Gallery as an Assistant Curator, 1979–2001, and Senior Curator of Photographs, 2001–present. She has curated more than a dozen exhibitions and serves on the Smithsonian’s Collections Advisory Committee. #Groundbreaker
Description: Corine Wegener, Director of the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative has been working to preserve cultural heritage in crisis situations in the U.S. and around the world for the Smithsonian since 2010. A former U.S. Army Reserve officer, she regularly organizes military cultural heritage events at the Smithsonian. #Groundbreaker
Description: Sharon Reinckens, Deputy Director, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, has served as Acting Director, Senior Designer, and Supervisory Visual Information Specialist at the museum, 1980–present. Reinckens also produced award-winning documentaries about African American artists in Washington D.C for the museum. #Groundbreaker
Description: Dr. Audrey B. Davis, Curator of Medical Sciences, National Museum of American History, 1967-1993, led the Smithsonian Institution Women's Council and authored Medicine and Its Technology among other works. #Groundbreaker
Description: Elvira Clain-Stefanelli worked with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s National Numismatics Collection between 1957 and 2000. Although she initially arrived at the Smithsonian as an assistant to her husband, chief curator Vladmir Clain-Stefanelli, she eventually became the department’s first executive director in 1984. In 1973, both Elvira and Vladmir
Description: Laura L. McKie, Assistant Director for Education, 1987–2001, planned, coordinated, and conducted educational activities at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She began her career with the museum as a docent in 1969, and in 1971, she was hired as an Anthropology Education Specialist . #Groundbreaker
Description: Nancy J. Bechtol has supervised all facilities engineering and management needs across the Smithsonian as director of Smithsonian Facilities since 2012. Previously, Bechtol was the director of Smithsonian Gardens, 1995–2002, and director of the Office of Facilities Management and Reliability, 2002–2012. #Groundbreaker
Description: Reminiscences of Frank A. Taylor, founding director of the National Museum of American History which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.