Meet our Leadership Team
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Douglass W. McDonald, President and CEO Cincinnati is far from my hometown in rural Iowa, but I couldn’t be more passionate about this vibrant city that I now call home. I began my museum career as CFO at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, after spending several years on the museum’s board. I was named CEO of the Genesee Country Village & Museum in 1995, and joined Cincinnati Museum Center as president and CEO in 1999. During this time, I’ve been excited to bring world-class exhibits to Cincinnati , including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Freedom’s Sisters, St. Peter and the Vatican, BODIES…The Exhibition, America I Am: The African American Imprint, and Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt. In the community, I serve as a board member for Wilmington College, Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Leadership Cincinnati USA, and CET Public Television Community Service Council. I am also involved with a variety of professional organizations, including serving on the board of the U.S. Committee of the International Council of Museums. The past 12 years have been an adventure, and there’s no other place I’d like to spend every day than Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, a community and historical icon, and a center for education and discovery. |
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Dave Duszynski, Vice President of Featured Experiences and Customer Services I came to the Museum of Natural History on Gilbert Avenue in 1985 as the Planetarium Director, just in time for Halley’s Comet. In 1990, along with the opening of Museum Center at Union Terminal, I assumed responsibility of the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater operations, and have been a consulting producer on many OMNIMAX® films during the past 20+ years. Currently, I am also responsible for customer service operations, retail operations, and for developing special exhibitions. My degrees are in Astrophysics and Communications from Michigan State University. For me, working in a museum provides the ideal opportunity to spread knowledge about the wonders of culture, the wonders of science, and the wonders of the universe—and it keeps me learning, too. |
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Lee Hoffheimer, Vice President of Institutional Advancement I manage a team of 12 individuals who are charged with budget support through gifts, grants and special events, as well as Museum Center’s 800-strong volunteer base. As President of the Museum Center Foundation, I play a special role in strategic planning and managing our ambitious goals for endowment growth, capital project funding, and innovative strategies for increasing contributions for expanded programs and capital projects. Prior to joining Museum Center, I spent nearly 18 years with Lee Hecht Harrison, Inc., a global leader in creating and delivering distinctive human capital solutions, where I served as Senior Vice President, Client Services and Regional Sales Director. I serve or have served on numerous boards of trustees in the area, including the boards of the Cincinnati Ballet, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Board of Overseers, Junior League, International Association of Career Management Professionals, Cincinnatus Association, and Leadership Cincinnati. |
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Tonya Matthews, Ph.D., Vice President of Museums I am a lifelong wonderer! I am the Vice President of Museums which combines Museum Center’s Education, Research and Community Engagement Departments into a powerhouse of endless learning opportunities for any age. In my role, I also get to work with other organizations in our community to develop programs and events for families, students and teachers. My degrees are in engineering from Duke University and Johns Hopkins University. I have always considered myself an educator, and working at Museum Center is a one-of-a-kind experience because here we turn teaching into an experience. |
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Elizabeth Pierce, Vice President of Marketing & Communications I joined the efforts to support Cincinnati Museum Center in 2002 as a consultant and as a leadership volunteer. Throughout the years, I worked on the 2004 operating levy campaign, several Duke Energy Children’s Museum parenting lectures and Museum Center's board of trustees. I officially joined the executive team in the fall of 2007, leading our strategic communications, advertising and marketing. I am here because I love learning and the ways in which museums help us learn about the world and our role in it. I have earned a BA in history from Miami University and a MA in museum administration from The George Washington University. Before relocating to Cincinnati in 1999, I worked in fundraising at Chicago Children’s Museum, special projects at the National Endowment for The Arts and volunteered at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. I previously held strategic communication roles at Dan Pinger Public Relations and UC Surgeons. I am a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class 32 and serve on the PR & Marketing Committee of the American Association of Museums. I volunteer with my children’s schools, LifeCenter Board of Trustees, Impact 100, Kindervelt, Spirit of Cincinnatus Advisory Board, Jostin Construction Advisory Board and the marketing committee of the MS Society. |
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Kim Robinson, President and CEO, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center I serve as President and CEO of the NationaI Underground Railroad Freedom Center. A 28-year veteran of P&G, I retired as Vice President of Customer Business Development in February, 2010. Determined to give back to a community in which I was so blessed, I then joined the Freedom Center in April, 2010 as Director of Advancement. I became President and CEO July 1, 2011. I also serve on the National Board of Focus on the Family. I hold a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Kansas, where I met Tammy, my wife of more than 30 years. Tammy and I reside in Liberty Township and attend North Fairfield Baptist Church, where I teach Sunday school to young married couples. We are proud parents and grandparents. Our family includes Jairus Robinson; Marcus Robinson and daughter-in-law Jayme Robinson; daughter Talitha Housen and son-in-law Mike Housen; and granddaughter Anaia Housen. I enjoy my Bible study and am an avid fan of college basketball and pro football. |
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Sandra Shipley, Chief of Staff I walked into the Natural History Museum on Gilbert Avenue in 1971 and applied for a job with the Exhibit Department to work on the Indian Path. I was mentored by the accomplished Senior Scientist, Charlie Oehler, whose words still guide me today. I left to have one son and came back to work on the baby mammoths that now stand in front of the Geier Center. With a degree in art and one in natural history and over 30 years on the job and varied responsibilities, I still relish working at Cincinnati Museum Center. Every day is a new challenge and opportunity to interpret the world around us to our visitors. As Chief of Staff, I try to assist in whatever projects Doug assigns to me. |
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A. Larry Sisk, Chief Financial Officer I was attracted to working at Museum Center because of its significance to the community. The vision for its future and the quality and commitment of its leadership and staff make it a world-class institution. I joined the museum in December 2008, after serving as vice president and treasurer of Ohio Casualty Corporation. In this role, I was part of the new management team that drove the turnaround of the company, restoring operating profitability, recapitalization and a substantial increase in share price. Previously, I worked at Chicago Title Corporation as vice president and treasurer, and also as chief financial officer of one of its operating subsidiaries. I am proud to be part of the mission-driven team at Museum Center and to have the opportunity to contribute to the continuing success of this important landmark institution. |
