As the EcoTarium continues expanding exhibits, partnerships and year-round programming, the Worcester science and nature museum is reshaping its leadership team to match that growth.
As part of that, the museum announced this week that Katie Chappell has been promoted to the newly created position of deputy director for museum operations, a role intended to help coordinate the institution’s growing mix of educational programming, exhibits and campus operations.
Chappell has served for the past four years as the museum’s director of education, exhibits and collections, overseeing many of the public-facing experiences that have helped define the EcoTarium’s recent evolution.
“This new position was created to support the growth and development of the EcoTarium and promote collaboration across all departments,” EcoTarium President and CEO Noreen Johnson Smith said in the announcement. “Katie is the right leader for this role. She has outstanding organizational and project management skills and has demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication to environmental stewardship during her time here. Katie understands the organization at every level and is a key partner in executing our strategic plan.”
The promotion comes during a period of visible expansion for the Harrington Way museum, which recently launched new traveling exhibits, deepened community partnerships and unveiled the Worcester Railers Explorer Express train branding as part of a collaboration with the city’s professional hockey team.
Founded in 1825 as the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History, the EcoTarium has increasingly positioned itself as both a regional science destination and a broader family attraction, combining exhibits, live animal habitats, trails, a planetarium and seasonal outdoor experiences across its 45-acre campus.
Before joining the EcoTarium in 2021, Chappell held leadership positions with the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts and the Springfield Boys and Girls Club, where she worked on youth programming, camps and fundraising initiatives, according to the announcement.
In 2016, she was recognized by BusinessWest as part of its “40 Under Forty” class.
The EcoTarium, located at 222 Harrington Way, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Have a story tip, community concern, or insight to share? Email Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org.
The Worcester Guardian is a nonprofit newsroom serving Central Massachusetts. Help keep independent reporting alive by making a donation today.
