Nikki HillPh.D.

Candidate · President & CEO · Discovery Place Museums

A museum is a
place to discover
who we are becoming
— together.

I'm Dr. Nikki Hill, Chief Learning Officer at Discovery Place Museums — and a candidate to serve as the organization's next President & CEO. Twenty years in children's museums, classrooms, and community rooms across the Carolinas have taught me one thing above all: when access, curiosity, and trust meet, communities grow.

Read the vision Experience
Children's Museum LeadershipSTEM EquityCommunity PartnershipsCapital ProjectsTeam CultureOrganizational StrategyCarolinas RootsLifelong LearningChildren's Museum LeadershipSTEM EquityCommunity PartnershipsCapital ProjectsTeam CultureOrganizational StrategyCarolinas RootsLifelong Learning

01 / About

A career built inside the museum, for the community.

I started my career as a kindergarten teacher at A.C. Moore Elementary in Columbia, South Carolina. Today I serve as Chief Learning Officer at Discovery Place, helping lead a four-museum enterprise with a $17M FY27 budget, 650,000+ annual guests, 130+ staff, and a $64.1M capital expansion underway. Every decision is still grounded in what I learned in that first classroom: meet children where they are, build trust with families, and treat learning as a public good.

Between those bookends I spent fourteen years at EdVenture Children's Museum in Columbia — rising from afterschool manager to Executive Vice President and Interim CEO, growing attendance from ~170,000 to 230,000+, and helping the museum earn the 2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. I then founded Village First Consulting, advising 11 nonprofits across the Carolinas on strategy, governance, and financial health before joining Discovery Place in 2024.

Discovery Place stands at a remarkable moment: the Charlotte Museum of Nature is rising in Freedom Park with $23.46M secured to date toward its $64.1M expansion, Discovery Place Kids Huntersville is being reimagined for a 2027 reopening, and we recently secured a $2.5M Lilly Endowment award — the largest grant in our history. I'm running to lead because I believe in this team, this institution, and this city — and because I know what it takes to carry a children's museum from a strong foundation to its next chapter.

02 / Vision for Discovery Place

Four commitments
for the next chapter.

Aligned to the priorities the Board has named for the next President & CEO: strategy and growth, executing for results, building a values-driven culture, and dynamic external leadership.

I.

Open the Charlotte Museum of Nature — beautifully

Lead the institution through the 2027 opening in Freedom Park: on strategy, on budget, and with the programming and community partnerships in place to make it a regional landmark from day one.

II.

Grow the Kids network through municipal partnership

Continue expanding Discovery Place Kids through durable public-private partnerships — including the planned museum in Matthews — so more Carolinas families have a great museum within reach.

III.

Steward a healthy, mission-driven institution

Pair growth with financial discipline: multi-year planning, reserves, earned revenue, and a thoughtful capital strategy that protects what we've built while we build what's next.

IV.

Be Charlotte's chief storyteller for science & nature

Serve as ambassador with donors, corporate partners, elected officials, and community leaders — deepening philanthropic support and Discovery Place's civic voice across the region and nationally.

03 / By the numbers

Two decades, measured in reach.

Across more than 20 years in education, museum leadership, nonprofit strategy, and public-private partnership development, Dr. Nikki Hill has helped institutions grow their reach, strengthen their systems, and expand access to learning for children, families, and communities.

20+

Years

Executive leadership in museums and nonprofits.

1M+

Children and Families Engaged and Inspired

Children, families, educators, and guests served through museum experiences, school partnerships, youth development programs, and community-based learning initiatives.

$30M+

in Revenue, Grants, and Capital Impact

Funding secured, managed, or influenced across federal grants, philanthropic awards, municipal partnerships, earned-revenue strategies, capital projects, and museum operations.

300+

Partnerships

School, municipal, corporate, philanthropic, and community partnerships built or scaled to expand access, deepen engagement, and strengthen institutional sustainability.

04 / Experience

A career built in the field.

A full CV is available on request.

  1. 2024 — Present

    Chief Learning Officer

    ·

    Discovery Place, Inc.

    Charlotte, NC

    • Provide FY26 executive leadership across a four-museum network with a $17M FY27 budget and 650,000+ annual guests — overseeing 130+ staff and 8 direct reports spanning science, learning, youth development, and guest experience.
    • Shape and execute a $9.2M earned-revenue strategy across admissions, memberships, guest experience, and educational programming.
    • Advance the Charlotte Museum of Nature capital strategy — contributing to $23.46M secured to date of Discovery Place's $64.1M expansion through donor engagement, government relations, and legislative advocacy.
    • Lead enterprise government relations, including a $7.2M public funding request supporting capital investment and long-term sustainability.
    • Secured and lead implementation of a $2.5M Lilly Endowment award — the largest grant in Discovery Place's history — funding the Discovery Place Kids Huntersville renovation and a network-wide values-based learning framework.
    • Oversee Discovery Place Kids Huntersville (reopening April 2027) and Discovery Place Kids Rockingham; lead expansion planning for new sites in key growth markets.
    • Developed the Next Gen Collective and Cradle-to-Career Discovery Model — a youth development and workforce pathway connecting exploration, mentorship, STEM identity, and lifelong learning.

  2. 2019 — 2023

    Founder & President

    ·

    Village First Consulting, LLC

    North & South Carolina

    • Founded and led an executive advisory firm serving 11 nonprofit organizations across the Carolinas, advising CEOs, boards, and leadership teams on strategy, governance, and long-term financial health.
    • Led enterprise strategic planning processes, developing 3- and 5-year strategic plans formally adopted by governing boards.
    • Developed fundraising strategies and municipal partnerships that expanded revenue streams and increased access to services.

  3. 2013 — 2019

    Executive Vice President (and Interim CEO)

    ·

    EdVenture Children's Museum

    Columbia, SC

    • Led a $5.5M+ multi-site children's museum system with locations in Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and Hartsville — growing annual attendance from ~170,000 to 230,000+.
    • Directed the launch of EdVenture Hartsville: a $1.2M capital project with a five-year municipal and corporate operating partnership.
    • Led the merger and integration of the Children's Museum of South Carolina (Myrtle Beach) into EdVenture's statewide system via a public-private partnership with the City of Myrtle Beach.
    • Secured and managed $10M+ in federal, state, corporate, and philanthropic funding for operations, expansion, and program growth.
    • Built a statewide network of 300+ partnerships and scaled Club EdVenture from 3 to 11 school sites serving 500+ youth daily (~$500K annual revenue).

  4. 2005 — 2013

    Vice President of Education → earlier leadership roles

    ·

    EdVenture Children's Museum

    Columbia, SC

    • As VP of Education (2008–2011), grew the Education Division from 2 to 15 full-time and 100 part-time staff, directing a $2M operating budget and major federally and state-funded science education initiatives.
    • Contributed to EdVenture's recognition as a 2011 Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal recipient — the nation's highest museum honor.
    • Earlier roles: Director of Educational Services (2006–2008) and Afterschool Program Manager (2005–2006).

  5. 2001 — 2005

    Kindergarten Teacher

    ·

    A.C. Moore Elementary School

    Columbia, SC

    • Began her career in the classroom — partnering with families on early childhood development, literacy, and school readiness. The foundation of two decades of work focused on learning, access, and opportunity.

05 / Recognition & service

Honored by the field she serves.

Honor

Roy L. Shafer Award

Association of Children's Museums — recognizing the Youth Development Initiative led under her direction.

Honor

Noyce Leadership Institute Fellow

One of the field's highest honors for executive leadership in informal science and children's museums.

Honor

IMLS National Medal for Museum and Library Service

Institutional recipient — EdVenture Children's Museum, the nation's highest museum honor.

Honor

Diversity Fellow — ASTC & ACM

Honored by both the Association of Science and Technology Centers and the Association of Children's Museums.

Honor

20 Under 40 Honoree & Keynote Speaker

The State (South Carolina) — recognized as a rising leader during her tenure at EdVenture.

Honor

Community Anchor Award

Orangeburg, SC — for sustained community impact and partnership leadership.

Education

Ph.D., Organizational Leadership

Columbia International University · 2023

M.S., Reading & Literacy

Walden University · 2004

B.A., Early Learning & Elementary Education

Columbia College · 2001

06 / Contact

Let's talk about
what's next.

For board members, search committee members, partners, and community leaders, I'd welcome the conversation. Discovery Place's next chapter belongs to all of us.

Emailnhill@discoveryplace.org
Phone(803) 609-7329
LinkedIn/in/nikki-hill-phd
LocationCharlotte, North Carolina