[BCMA] THE EXPLORATION PLACE ANNOUNCES THE RETIREMENT OF CEO TRACY CALOGHEROS AFTER 30 REMARKABLE YEARS

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

 [image: image.png]

*February 7, 2024*

*for immediate release*

*THE EXPLORATION PLACE ANNOUNCES THE RETIREMENT OF CEO TRACY CALOGHEROS
AFTER 30 REMARKABLE YEARS*

*PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA* – The Exploration Place is bidding
farewell to its long-serving CEO, Tracy Calogheros, who is retiring after
an extraordinary 30-year tenure at the Museum, with 20 of those years at
the helm. Under her leadership, The Exploration Place has flourished,
transforming from its early days as the Fraser-Fort George Museum into an
award-winning beacon of cultural exploration, education, and community
engagement.

Tracy's journey with the Exploration Place began in 1994. With a fine arts
background, her initial role as the Museum's Marketing and Graphics
Coordinator marked the start of a remarkable career that has seen the
institution undergo many changes and evolutions.

Her leadership and dedication have been instrumental in guiding the Museum
through significant expansions, groundbreaking and meaningful work with
Indigenous communities, and numerous accolades that underscore the
institution's commitment to excellence and reconciliation. Though not one
of the largest institutions in the country, The Exploration Place has
served as a nationwide example of how a regional museum can think, engage,
and work together with the First Nation on whose territory it is located.

Tracy emphasizes the importance of the museum's commitment to
reconciliation, a principle that has been integral to the museum's
operations long before it became a national conversation. "The Fraser-Fort
George Museum was a very different place in 1994 than it is today," Tracy
reflects. "But even then, the Museum had a seat for the Lheidli T’enneh on
its board, and it was that visionary approach to reconciliation before
anyone had even heard the word that has shaped this award-winning,
community-centred approach to museum work."

Tracy has served on multiple boards and dedicated her time to countless
organizations, including the Canadian Museums Association, where she is a
Fellow and currently sits as President. She has also served as President of
the Canadian Association of Science Centres board and has been a strong
champion for science literacy. “No kid wakes up at 18 and decides they want
to be an engineer or an epidemiologist unless they have grown up excited
about scientific endeavour.” This has been an important part of the
Museum’s mandate since it became The Exploration Place in 2001—to make
science accessible, non-intimidating, and most of all, fun, planting a seed
in the minds of future scientists.

Even when involved with associations and committees unrelated to the
science centre or museum community, Tracy has used her positions in these
organizations to constantly advocate for science centres and museums. She
has brought the message of advocacy for the sector across the nation,
working with people from all levels of government and from within the
industry to advance the goals of science centres and museums.

Reflecting on her retirement, Calogheros expressed profound gratitude
toward the collaborative efforts that have propelled the museum's success.
“This organization and this community have given me opportunities I would
never have dreamt of in 1994 when I first interviewed for an unemployment
insurance program position. Flash forward 30 years, and I am humbled to
have played my part in this museum's development."

As of June 30th, Tracy will embark on a new chapter, chasing the seasons on
Iowna Island at Francois Lake with her husband, John. While her leadership
will be greatly missed, her years of dedication will continue to inspire
The Exploration Place team and the broader community the Museum serves.

"Under Tracy's leadership, The Exploration Place has evolved into a leading
museum and science centre," says The Exploration Place Board of Trustees
President Helena Trudel. "On behalf of the Board, I extend my sincere
thanks to Tracy for her devoted service to the organization and the museum
sector spanning the last three decades. The Board is commencing the search
for a new CEO."

*MEDIA INQUIRIES: *


*Tracy Calogheros CEO*


* The Exploration Place 250.981.5910 *
*tracy.calogheros at theexplorationplace.com*
<tracy.calogheros at theexplorationplace.com>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20240207/8e6aa254/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.png
Type: image/png
Size: 10892 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20240207/8e6aa254/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Media Release - Tracy Calogheros announces retirement.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 223222 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20240207/8e6aa254/attachment.docx>