September 19, 2014—Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) board of directors’ president James Firth announced today the board’s selection of Robert Griesmer as executive director of the Center. The announcement is the result of a nationwide search conducted by the VASC board of directors. “Today we are delighted to announce Mr. Robert Griesmer as Executive Director of the Virginia Air & Space Center, effective November 1st. Mr. Griesmer brings tremendous experience and an outstanding record of success to this position, and the leadership and vision to lead a great VASC team towards an exciting future,” said Firth.
Griesmer has most recently served as the President & Chief Executive Officer of The New Children’s Museum in West Hartford Connecticut, where he successfully directed a financial and programmatic turnaround strategy for the institution which resulted in a refurbishment of the museum, a restructuring of human and financial resources and elimination of all debt. Griesmer’s expertise in operations helped the organization realize a revenue gain in 2013 and his experience in museum development has positioned the institution for growth and expansion. Prior to The New Children’s Museum, Griesmer was the Chief Operating Officer at Connecticut’s second largest tourist attraction, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. Serving the Aquarium in leadership roles for more than 20 years, Griesmer directed the facility’s $30 million capital construction, managed daily operations, and provided strategic and master planning guidance for the organization. Griesmer is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), the American Association of Museums (AAM), Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA).
“I am looking forward to having the honor of leading VASC and appreciate the trust the board is placing in me in this capacity,” Griesmer said. “Furthermore, my wife Anne and I are very much looking forward to settling into our new community.”
The Virginia Air & Space Center celebrated positive results for FY14, operating in the black with more than 254,000 visitor admissions, an increase over the previous year. “We want to thank Mr. Brian DeProfio for his outstanding leadership as Interim Executive Director over the past three years. Brian has done an absolutely superb job during a very important period, and we want to recognize the huge positive impact he has made in positioning the VASC for future success,” said Firth.
The Virginia Air & Space Center is the official visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and serves as the visitor center for Langley Air Force Base. VASC’s mission is to educate, entertain and inspire the next generation of explorers. The Center is the region’s leader in informal education bringing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to the Hampton Roads community. Virginia Air & Space Center is located at 600 Settlers Landing Road in beautiful Downtown Hampton. Visit our website @ www.vasc.org. For more information call 757.727.0900.
