nroath
05-03-2007, 11:26 AM
Randall Hayes named director of the Space History Museum
SANTA FE―Randall Hayes of Santa Teresa, New Mexico has been named as the new director of the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo by state Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman. Hayes was the unanimous choice of the museum’s advisory commission which made its recommendation to Ashman who appoints the director with the approval of the Governor.
Hayes joins one of New Mexico’s most visited museums following nearly three years with the INSIGHTS El Paso Science Center. He has also directed the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska; Brevard Museum of Art & Science in Melbourne, Florida; and the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno.
“Randall Hayes’s knowledge of museum management, together with his proven successes in fundraising, revenue enhancement and audience development, combine for a strong leader for one of our state’s most popular and educational museums,” said Ashman.
Hayes grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, home of the high-profile U.S. Space and Rocket Center which, like the New Mexico Museum of Space of History, offers a museum, IMAX Theater and space camp program for kids.
“The concept of immersing an organization into the fabric of the community, whether it is cultural, educational or entertainment, insures that the institution is an integral part of the whole,” said Hayes. “This simple format has proven to be very successful in organizations that I have directed.”
Hayes, who will assume his responsibilities at the museum on June 4, succeeds Mark Santiago, who left the museum last November to serve as director of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.
Opened in October 1976, the Museum of Space History celebrates space exploration with a mix of high-tech entertainment and dramatic exhibits. The museum complex includes the International Space Hall of Fame; John P. Stapp Air and Space Park, displaying large exhibits such as the Apollo program’s Little Joe II rocket and the rocket sled that “Fastest Man Alive” Stapp rode to 634 mph; and New Mexico’s only IMAX Theater, surrounding the audience with a giant dome-screen with state-of-the-art sound. The museum welcomes about 107,000 visitors per year.
The Department of Cultural Affairs includes, in addition to the Museum of Space History and the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum, New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, National Hispanic Cultural Center, New Mexico State Monuments, as well as the Office of Archaeological Studies, New Mexico State Library, New Mexico Arts and the Historic Preservation Division.
cathy.harper@state.nm.us
SANTA FE―Randall Hayes of Santa Teresa, New Mexico has been named as the new director of the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo by state Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman. Hayes was the unanimous choice of the museum’s advisory commission which made its recommendation to Ashman who appoints the director with the approval of the Governor.
Hayes joins one of New Mexico’s most visited museums following nearly three years with the INSIGHTS El Paso Science Center. He has also directed the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska; Brevard Museum of Art & Science in Melbourne, Florida; and the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno.
“Randall Hayes’s knowledge of museum management, together with his proven successes in fundraising, revenue enhancement and audience development, combine for a strong leader for one of our state’s most popular and educational museums,” said Ashman.
Hayes grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, home of the high-profile U.S. Space and Rocket Center which, like the New Mexico Museum of Space of History, offers a museum, IMAX Theater and space camp program for kids.
“The concept of immersing an organization into the fabric of the community, whether it is cultural, educational or entertainment, insures that the institution is an integral part of the whole,” said Hayes. “This simple format has proven to be very successful in organizations that I have directed.”
Hayes, who will assume his responsibilities at the museum on June 4, succeeds Mark Santiago, who left the museum last November to serve as director of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.
Opened in October 1976, the Museum of Space History celebrates space exploration with a mix of high-tech entertainment and dramatic exhibits. The museum complex includes the International Space Hall of Fame; John P. Stapp Air and Space Park, displaying large exhibits such as the Apollo program’s Little Joe II rocket and the rocket sled that “Fastest Man Alive” Stapp rode to 634 mph; and New Mexico’s only IMAX Theater, surrounding the audience with a giant dome-screen with state-of-the-art sound. The museum welcomes about 107,000 visitors per year.
The Department of Cultural Affairs includes, in addition to the Museum of Space History and the Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum, New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, National Hispanic Cultural Center, New Mexico State Monuments, as well as the Office of Archaeological Studies, New Mexico State Library, New Mexico Arts and the Historic Preservation Division.
cathy.harper@state.nm.us