Hane successfully led the Museum for 11 Years as President; Bruce Fafard, COO, to Serve as Interim CEO

Jacksonville, Fla. — August 5, 2020 — The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) today announced that Maria Hane, President of the Museum, will depart from her role on August 31, 2020.

Hane joined the Museum as President in 2009. Under her leadership, the Museum’s community engagement initiatives expanded to reflect the diversity of audiences and histories in Northeast Florida. Highlights of her tenure include enhancing the visitor experience through renovations of every core and permanent exhibit within the Museum; securing a dynamic lineup of traveling exhibits, including RACE: Are We So Different? (2013), Anne Frank: A History for Today (2017), and The Legacy of Lynching: Confronting Racial Terror in America (2019); encouraging the development of The Elements of MOSH, a young professionals group founded in 2011 by Christian Harden, who now serves as Chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees; and leading a multi-year research and community input process that culminated in the launch of MOSH 2.0: a capital campaign to fund the development of a reimagined visitor experience.

Hane is resigning to assume full caretaker responsibilities for a member of her immediate family.

“The Museum has earned a strong reputation in the community over the past decade, and is positioned for successful growth with MOSH 2.0,” said Hane. “I will leave this role knowing I made a difference, and with confidence that there is a foundation that will hold steady through the evolution of building a new Museum that will define the region as a destination and as a source of pride for Downtown.”

The MOSH 2.0 campaign will continue under the leadership of Christian Harden and Jill Davis, Chair of the MOSH 2.0 campaign cabinet — a dynamic group of community leaders, philanthropists and representatives from the MOSH Board of Trustees. In addition to Harden and Davis, cabinet members include:

• Mary Jane Allegro
• Katie Borghese
• Ryan Hixon
• Tim Johnson
• William Magevney
• Emily Rhodin
• Lindsay Riggs
• John Surface
• Brian Wolfburg

This transition of leadership has been planned for several months. The Museum’s Board of Trustees hired Bruce Fafard as Chief Operating Officer in May 2020, with the intent for his role to expand to include interim CEO responsibilities upon the announcement Hane’s departure. Effective today, Fafard will oversee the stability and sustainability of the Museum’s mission and collaborate directly with staff, members, visitors and volunteers to ensure an exemplary visitor experience, while the MOSH 2.0 cabinet continues to cultivate support for the capital campaign.

“Maria’s countless contributions to the Museum and the cultural community have played a transformative role in the growth of MOSH over the past 11 years. Her leadership has bolstered the quality of our visitor experience, the value we provide to guests and members, and our vision for what the future of MOSH can deliver,” said Harden. “The mark of a great leader is their ability to leave, knowing that the right people and systems are in place to continue forward toward the fulfillment of a shared mission. MOSH will remain a destination that inspires the joy of lifelong learning by bringing to life the sciences and regional history. We are grateful for Maria’s leadership, and wish her happiness and success in all of her future endeavors.”

The Board of Trustees will initiate a national search for the Museum’s next President in 2021.

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About MOSH:

The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is located at 1025 Museum Circle near Friendship Park. MOSH, first chartered in 1941, inspires the joy of lifelong learning by bringing to life the sciences and regional history. Admission is $15 for adults; $12 for youth, students, active and retired military and seniors. There is no admission fee for children 2 and under or Museum members. Learn more at themosh.org.

Museum funding is provided in part by the City of Jacksonville and the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, Inc.; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts; Historic Museums Grants-in-Aid Program assistance provided by the Bureau of Historical Museums, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, Secretary of State.