Michigan Science Center Adds Four New Hires to Leadership, Development and Operations Teams

Roles Include Chief Development Officer, Chief Business Officer, Chief of Staff and Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Detroit, Mich., Feb. 2022 – The Michigan Science Center (MiSci) announced today the hiring of four nonprofit experts to fill key roles on its leadership teams: Nancy Maier, chief development officer; Lucy Hale, chief business officer; Andrea Harp, chief of staff and director of culture and community and Jennifer Oprisiu, director of corporate and foundation relations.

“The ‘new normal’ brings a considerable amount of dynamism and uncertainty,” said Dr. Christian Greer, president and CEO. “Experienced leaders like Nancy, Lucy, Andrea and Jennifer have the talents and skills to help us reach our full potential to put people and communities at the center of science in Detroit, in the region, and across the state.”

Nancy Maier recently served as executive director at the Michigan Dental Association Foundation. She led the organization and the board of Directors in fundraising programs designed as grants to Safety Net Clinics throughout the state to provide access to dental care for Michigan’s uninsured and underserved. Additionally, Nancy arranged funding for scholarships for socio-economically challenged and under-represented populations in dental, dental hygiene and dental assisting schools and managed the day-to-day operations of the $2.5 million organization. She was also the face of the organization throughout the state and fundraised nearly four million dollars while awarding three million in grants and $250,000 in student scholarships.

In her role, Nancy will fill an open position at MiSci with the goal of growing and challenging a team of fundraising professionals to cultivate a culture of philanthropy. This includes growing individual, member, corporation, foundation, government and event fundraising, coupled with the necessary data analysis to determine new and alternative funding sources designed to build MiSci into a premier STEM-hub and a mid-town tourist destination.

Lucy Hale recently served as president and CEO of the Worcester Natural History Society in Worcester, MA, the country’s second-oldest natural history society, which is an indoor and outdoor science museum, zoological park and nature center. Lucy’s focus was to financially align the museum’s work to their existing strategic plan, grow revenues significantly across the organization, complete and launch capital projects to enhance and improve the museum’s resources and launch a new strategic plan that would bring the museum to its 200th anniversary in 2025.

In her newly created role as chief business officer at MiSci, Lucy will craft the vision and strategy for all earned revenue products, programs, and events; create and implement audience engagement and audience discovery strategies; oversee marketing and public relations; and advance new business development initiatives for the organization.

Andrea Harp joined MiSci in 2019 as the community partnership manager for the STEMinista Project, which provides high-quality STEM programming to marginalized girls while also linking them to 250+ STEM role models and mentors. She expanded capacity statewide along with MiSci’s collaborative partnership opportunities.

In her newly created role as chief of staff and director of Culture and Community at MiSci, Andrea will execute the president and CEO’s goals across the organization to improve our team’s strategic collaboration, reduce risks, close gaps and oversee organizational initiatives from conception to completion. In addition, Andrea will develop and implement MiSci’s diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility framework in this dual role and strengthen its workplace culture and community connections.

Jennifer Oprisiu recently served as director of development at American Indian Health & Family Services. She has a Master’s in Public Administration specializing in policy and management from Wayne State University.

In her new role as director of corporate and foundation relations, Jennifer will fill an open position at MiSci with the goal of working closely with MiSci’s Education and Program teams to focus on growing MiSci’s grant and foundation fundraising, while reporting to Nancy Maier.

About The Michigan Science Center

The Michigan Science Center (MiSci) is a Smithsonian affiliate that inspires nearly 250,000 curious minds of all ages every year through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) discovery, innovation and interactive education in Detroit and across Michigan. As a STEM hub, MiSci focuses on developing and introducing expanded education programs, exhibits and initiatives to empower and enrich our children and community. Through their Traveling Science Program and distance learning initiative, ECHO Live!, MiSci is expanding beyond its Detroit-based facility, with a goal of reaching all 83 counties of Michigan. With the Toyota Engineering 4D Theater, live science demonstrations, lab activities and 220+ interactive exhibits, there are dozens of ways to customize your MiSci visit. The Michigan Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and does not receive funding from Detroit or the state of Michigan. For more information, please call 313.577.8400 or visit the website, Mi-Sci.org.

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Elizabeth Weigandt, Principal

Weigandt Communications, LLC

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