Eugene Mcdermott Chief Executive Officer
CurrentThe nonprofit Perot Museum of Nature and Science is the top cultural attraction in Dallas/Fort Worth and a Michelin Green Guide three-star destination. As CEO, Dr. Silver provides leadership for all aspects of the Museum, including development and implementation of strategic direction and financial management; overall management of daily operations, fundraising and program development; and relations with staff, volunteers, board members, peer institutions and the broader community. Since joining the Museum, Dr. Silver has:• Fully renovated two of the Museum’s 11 permanent galleries and developed the Museum’s first in-house curated exhibition – Origins: Fossils from the Cradle of Humankind – in partnership with National Geographic and Witwatersrand University, South Africa. Also debuted the Paleo Lab providing visitors real-time views of its field research and discoveries.• Assessed the Museum’s collections, acquired real estate and created a state-of-the-art facility where 150,000-plus specimens from the nearly century-old natural-history collections are stored in accordance with American Alliance of Museums standards. The facility also houses new laboratories and offices for Museum research scientists.• Worked with the Board of Directors to diversify its membership and streamline committee processes. Also established a staff committee to address inclusion, diversity, equality and other issues • (Prior to COVID-19), delivered bottom-line, multi-million-dollar surpluses by focusing on top-line strategies of driving earned revenues• Moved the Museum from a mono-lingual institution to one reflecting Texas’ demographics by ensuring all new exhibits are bilingual and presented in English and Spanish• Improved accessibility by establishing Community Partners, a program funded by the late Ross Perot and his wife Margot, providing $1 general admission to underserved families who qualify and free admission to eligible military, first responders and educators
