Veteran Science Museum Director to Lead The Tech

By Karl Schoenberger, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.

Sep. 24–San Jose’s Tech Museum of Innovation announced Friday it has appointed Sheila Grinell, a veteran science museum director, to lead the institution until a new chief executive is recruited.

Grinell recently retired as founding chief executive of the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix. She has agreed to serve as interim CEO at The Tech while a formal search continues for a replacement for Peter Giles — who led the museum since its inception 18 years ago and retired at the end of March.

Grinell will start Monday, splitting her time between San Jose and Phoenix, where she is involved in a science teaching project at an urban desert preserve.

“There are a lot of great people at The Tech. They just need somebody to hold it together for the interim,” Grinell said in a phone interview. “I have 30 years experience in running a science museum and I believe I can step right in without a learning curve.”

Among her credits, Grinell was a founding staff member of the San Francisco Exploratorium, said The Tech’s media director, Tony Santos.

Grinell’s appointment comes after Meredith Taylor, The Tech’s president, announced she will leave in early October. Taylor, who joined the museum in July 2002, had been running the museum after Giles’ retirement and was considered a candidate for his job, Santos said.

But Taylor backed out after acknowledging she lacked the depth of science and technology experience needed for the post.

“After reviewing the challenges and opportunities which science centers are facing these days, the Search Committee and I agreed that it would be best for The Tech to be led by someone with far deeper experience in the fields of science and technology,” Taylor said in statement Friday.

“I’m proud of that which we’ve accomplished at The Tech during a trying economic and social climate, and am delighted to hand off the leadership to such a respected museum industry leader for this interim role,” she said.

Michael L. Hackworth, chairman of The Tech’s board of directors, praised Taylor for her leadership in The Tech’s news release Friday.

“We will miss Meredith, whose contributions over the past three years both as chief operating officer and over the last 10 months as president have been critical for the continuing success of The Tech,” Hackworth said. “Meredith has been a powerful force in steering the strategic and operational initiatives of the institution, resulting in year over year attendance growth the past two years.”

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