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The EcoTarium's shared vision S H O P TA L K Q & A Founded: 1825 Employees: 50 Residences: Hale: Grafton; Belsito: Worcester Ages: 40; 40 Birthplaces: Boston; Worcester Education: Bachelor of art history, Boston College; bachelor of business communication & his MBA, Assumption College This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by Brad Kane, WBJ editor. PHOTO/BRAD KANE Lucy Hale & Paul Belsito President & Chairman of the board EcoTarium, Worcester I n June, Paul Belsito took over as chairman of Worcester museum EcoTarium, where he led the search committee to find a replacement for former President Joe Cox. e muse- um ended up hiring Lucy Hale, who was the director of Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas. She started on Aug. 20. What were you looking for in a president? Paul: We were looking for someone to lead us to our 200th anniversary. We needed someone who could fine-tune our vision and understand the trajectory of the museum. is institution is positioned really well, and we had applicants from all over the world. People saw the enormous possibilities we had here. Lucy rose to the top. Why did Lucy rise to the top? Paul: We are a very unique organization in that we are part zoo, part science muse- um and part children's museum. Lucy had experience in all three. She really laid out a solid vision for the organization. It didn't hurt she already knew the area and was a Red Sox fan. Lucy, why did you apply? Lucy: It was a combination of things. e organization here is very well positioned, is beloved in the community and has a wonderful board. My parents in live in Medford, so we were thinking about moving back up here. My mentor at the museum in Texas worked for a previous iteration of the Eco- Tarium, so I already knew about this place. What is your vision for the museum? Lucy: We need to rethink our space and use it as best as we can. Do we need to move the main gate, so it is easier to get in this place? Should we expand the animal experience? Do we need to do more in the early childhood area? We are working to understand the com- munity more, too. We need to physically get out more, out of our own gates. We need to be present where people are, such as having a presence at events in the parks. We need to engage with the youth of our city to build the next generation of museum professionals. I'm a product of a museum volunteer program. Paul, what does the board envision? Paul: You really need to look at the possibilities here and make changes. e board is open to that journey. We want to be accessible to as many people as possible, but you have to do it in a creative way. How is funding coming for that vision? Lucy: We have an annual budget of about $4 million, and about half of that comes from fundraising. Paul: Our endowment is now $11 million, which is helpful in executing any vision. Any organization with an endow- ment is blessed. Lucy: e just-completed phase two of the capital campaign for the 200th an- niversary was $9.1 million, and the main addition was Wild Cat Station exhibit, which is opening this spring. Phase three of that 2025 plan doesn't have a dollar amount. We are still figuring out exactly what we want to do, such as if we want to redo the stairs to make the mu- seum more accessible for people with disabilities. Our short-term goal is opening Wild Cat Station this spring. We want to make a big splash with that and have a big celebration. Aer that, we'll start planning for the 200th anni- versary and phase three. ose plans need to start very soon. Paul: But before we go that, we want to open Wild Cat Station. at is a mental milestone before we can move on. When will the animals arrive? Lucy: Construction should be com- plete on Wild Cat Station before anks- giving, and we should have the mountain lions sometime before Christmas. We've reached out to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. Unfor- tunately, because they've had so many wildfires out West, they are finding a lot of abandoned cubs, or kittens, really. e ones too young to be released back into the wild are sent to places like us with the capabilities to take care of them. ey've reached out to us twice already about placing cubs with us, but construc- tion wasn't complete yet. And then phase three? Lucy: e focus used to be on opening one new exhibit every year, but we need to take a step back and understand more what will drive people to the museum. e EcoTarium board is amazing and has been really supportive of everything I want to do. So, thank you, Paul. Paul: You're welcome. W VIDEO: Worcester newcomer Lucy Hale talks with WBJ Editor Brad Kane about some of the places she's discovered around the region. Go to WBJournal.com 46 Worcester Business Journal | October 29, 2018 | wbjournal.com