Honor
Roy L. Shafer Award
Association of Children's Museums — recognizing the Youth Development Initiative led under her direction.
Candidate · President & CEO · Discovery Place Museums
A museum is a
place to discover
who we are becoming
— together.
I'm Dr. Nikki Hill, Chief Learning Officer at Discovery Place Museums — and a candidate to serve as the organization's next President & CEO. Twenty years in museums, classrooms, and community rooms across the Carolinas have taught me one thing above all: when access, curiosity, and trust meet, communities grow.
Children's Museum LeadershipSTEM EquityCommunity PartnershipsCapital ProjectsTeam CultureOrganizational StrategyCarolinas RootsLifelong LearningChildren's Museum LeadershipSTEM EquityCommunity PartnershipsCapital ProjectsTeam CultureOrganizational StrategyCarolinas RootsLifelong Learning
01 / About
A career built inside the museum, for the community.
I believe curiosity is one of the most powerful forces for change.
That belief didn't begin in a boardroom. It began in rural South Carolina, where I learned firsthand what wonder, discovery, and one great museum can do for a child.
For more than two decades, I've built on that belief — whether leading museums or leading classrooms. At EdVenture Children's Museum, I helped grow annual attendance from 170,000 to 230,000, led a statewide merger, and secured more than $10 million in federal, state, and philanthropic funding. At Discovery Place, I've secured the largest grant in the organization's history, advanced $7.2 million in legislative support of CMN's capital goal and led two museum renovations.
Discovery Place is at an inflection point.
Opening the Charlotte Museum of Nature in 2027 is the most significant chapter in this institution's history — and it requires a leader who knows this organization, this city, and this field deeply enough to get it right.
I am that leader. The work we're building toward is too important to hand to anyone who hasn't already earned a seat at our table.
02 / Vision for Discovery Place
Five commitments
for the next chapter.
Aligned to the priorities the Board has named for the next President & CEO: strategy and growth, executing for results, building a values-driven culture, and dynamic external leadership.
I.
Shape DP's Next Chapter — Starting With an Open and Successful CMN
Lead the successful opening of the Charlotte Museum of Nature as a nationally recognized destination—delivered on strategy, on budget, and with the exhibits, programs, partnerships, and operational excellence needed to inspire generations of children and families from day one.
II.
Expand Discovery Place's Impact
Advance Discovery Place's long-term growth by expanding the Discovery Place Kids network through innovative public-private partnerships while partnering with the City of Charlotte to define the future of Discovery Place Science. Strengthen the organization's reach, relevance, and resilience by identifying strategic opportunities that expand access, inspire curiosity, and serve children, families, and communities for generations to come.
III.
Ensure Long-Term Financial Sustainability
Lead with transparency and financial stewardship by strengthening Discovery Place's long-term financial sustainability through disciplined fiscal management, diversified revenue, strategic investment, and thoughtful capital planning—ensuring every financial decision advances the organization's mission, resilience, and future growth.
IV.
Position Discovery Place as an Essential Civic Institution
Position Discovery Place as an indispensable partner in strengthening our region's future by advancing science, nature, and experiential learning as catalysts for economic vitality, educational opportunity, and community well-being. Elevate the organization's influence among civic, philanthropic, corporate, and government leaders while advancing Discovery Place's leadership and impact across the Carolinas and on the national stage.
V.
Champion Discovery Place Through Advocacy & Philanthropy
Cultivate strategic relationships with legislators, municipal leaders, philanthropists, corporate partners, and community stakeholders to advance public investment, strengthen philanthropic support, and expand Discovery Place's impact for children and families. Build partnerships that ensure long-term sustainability while broadening access to transformative experiences that inspire curiosity and strengthen communities.
03 / By the numbers
Two decades, measured in reach.
Across more than 20 years in education, museum leadership, nonprofit strategy, and public-private partnership development, I've helped institutions grow their reach, strengthen their systems, and expand access to learning for children, families, and communities.
20+
Years
Executive leadership in museums and nonprofits.
1M+
Children and Families Engaged and Inspired
Children, families, educators, and guests served through museum experiences, school partnerships, youth development programs, and community-based learning initiatives.
$30M+
in Revenue, Grants, and Capital Impact
Funding secured, managed, or influenced across federal grants, philanthropic awards, municipal partnerships, earned-revenue strategies, capital projects, and museum operations.
300+
Partnerships
School, municipal, corporate, philanthropic, and community partnerships built or scaled to expand access, deepen engagement, and strengthen institutional sustainability.
04 / The Insider Advantage
The Insider
Advantage.
Full Organizational Scope
Over the past year, I've served as the functional executive over Discovery Place's entire program portfolio — continuing to lead the Kids network across both sites, and also stepping in as interim Chief Science Officer over Discovery Place Science and the Charlotte Museum of Nature.
Leadership Team Relationships
Leadership transitions carry real risk. The relationships, trust, and shared context that make a senior team function take years to build. I have them. From day one, I can lead — not spend the first year learning who's in the room.
Front Line Respect
The staff who greet guests, run programs, and deliver the mission every day — I know them, and they know me. That kind of trust isn't conferred by a title. It's earned over time, in the building, alongside the people doing the work. And it matters enormously for an organization about to open a new venue, integrate a renovated site, and ask its people to perform at a higher level than ever before.
05 / Honored by the field
Honored by the field
Honor
Noyce Leadership Institute Fellow
One of the field's highest honors for executive leadership in informal science and children's museums.
Honor
IMLS National Medal for Museum and Library Service
Institutional recipient — EdVenture Children's Museum, the nation's highest museum honor.
Honor
Diversity Fellow — ASTC & ACM
Honored by both the Association of Science and Technology Centers and the Association of Children's Museums.
Honor
20 Under 40 Honoree & Keynote Speaker
The State (South Carolina) — recognized as a rising leader during her tenure at EdVenture.
Honor
Community Anchor Award
Orangeburg, SC — for sustained community impact and partnership leadership.
06 / Experience
A career built in the field.
A full CV is available on request.
2024 — Present
Chief Learning Officer
·Discovery Place, Inc.
Charlotte, NC
- Executive leadership across a four-museum network with a $17M budget and 650,000+ annual guests.
- Advanced $23.46M of the Charlotte Museum of Nature capital strategy and secured a $2.5M Lilly Endowment award — the largest grant in Discovery Place's history.
- Oversee Discovery Place Kids Huntersville (reopening 2027) and lead expansion planning for new growth markets.
2019 — 2023
Founder & President
·Village First Consulting, LLC
North & South Carolina
- Advised 11 nonprofits across the Carolinas on strategy, governance, and long-term financial health.
- Developed fundraising strategies and municipal partnerships that expanded revenue streams and access to services.
2013 — 2019
Executive Vice President (and Interim CEO)
·EdVenture Children's Museum
Columbia, SC
- Led a $5.5M+ multi-site museum system, growing annual attendance from 170,000 to 230,000+.
- Directed the launch of EdVenture Hartsville and led the merger of the Children's Museum of South Carolina into EdVenture's statewide system.
- Secured and managed $10M+ in federal, state, corporate, and philanthropic funding.
2005 — 2013
Vice President of Education → earlier roles
·EdVenture Children's Museum
Columbia, SC
- Grew the Education Division from 2 to 15 full-time and 100 part-time staff, directing a $2M operating budget.
- Contributed to EdVenture's 2011 IMLS National Medal — the nation's highest museum honor.
2001 — 2005
Kindergarten Teacher
·A.C. Moore Elementary School
Columbia, SC
- Began her career in the classroom — the foundation of two decades focused on learning, access, and opportunity.
Education
Ph.D., Organizational Leadership
Columbia International University · 2023
M.S., Reading & Literacy
Walden University · 2004
B.A., Early Learning & Elementary Education
Columbia College · 2001
07 / Contact
Let's talk about
what's next.
For board members, search committee members, partners, and community leaders, I'd welcome the conversation. Discovery Place's next chapter belongs to all of us.
Emailnhill@discoveryplace.org
Phone(803) 609-7329
LinkedIn/in/nikki-hill-phd
LocationCharlotte, North Carolina