Adam Smith

President

Exploration Place

Statement of Purpose

When joined Exploration Place in 2019, I was new to giant screen cinema. The learning curve was steep, but the GSCA staff and community played a huge part in accelerating my technical knowledge, and (just as important) providing moral support and encouragement to try new things.  This has really paid off and we have been hitting record numbers in our dome theater, surpassing 100,000 annual guests for the first time ever in 2023-24.  This growth has come from balancing traditional documentaries with newer immersive experiences and alternative content that create a buzz through targeted digital marketing.

As I seek a second term on the GSCA Board, I’m motivated to give back.  In my first term I have contributed to our theater survey project, that will hopefully generate valuable insights and data to shape our future decisions.

Looking ahead, I will try to be an optimistic, forward-looking voice in our organization.  I truly believe that we offer something unique in a world hungry for extraordinary experiences, and will encourage us to push boundaries in programming, marketing, and technology.

Also, good governance is crucial for any nonprofit, and GSCA is no exception. My years in the museum world have exposed me to the good and bad of board practice and I will do my best to keep standards high at GSCA.

Bio

Adam joined Exploration Place on November 11, 2019. He has led museums or has served in museum leadership positions since 2001 and has served in the museum field since 1997. He most recently was executive director for Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, California. Before Comic-Con Museum, Adam served as executive vice president at Commemorative Air Force, the world’s largest flying museum. He led the organization’s move from Midland, Texas, to the new headquarters in Dallas. The new museum location includes an Aviation Education Center and STEM innovation hangar, classrooms and exhibit space.

Adam also spent 11 years as museum director and vice president with the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he elevated its STEM-based learning, career development programming, distance learning and summer camps. Adam served with other museums as well, including the National Museums of Scotland, Lower Methil Heritage Trust and Pendle Heritage Centre.

Adam earned a postgraduate diploma in museum and gallery studies (Awarded With Distinction) from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History (First Class Honors) from the University of Leeds, England. Originally from England, Smith has lived in the United States since 2001 but especially cherishes the time he spent in Wisconsin and is happy to be back in the Midwest.