BoardWalk Consulting Places New CEO for Louisiana Children’s Museum
February 22, 2023 – BoardWalk Consulting has assisted in the recruitment of Tifferney M. White as the new CEO of the Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM) in New Orleans. John Sparrow, senior director, and Lysondra Somerville, senior research associate, spearheaded the assignment. An experienced and nationally recognized leader in the children’s museum field, Ms. White will officially begin her new role on March 1.
Most recently, Ms. White served as chief learning officer of Discovery Place, which includes four hands-on museums with locations in and around Charlotte, NC. In that role, she developed the strategy and vision of learning experiences across the Discovery Place museums, the STEM Education Studio, outreach opportunities, and most recently overseeing the two children’s museums. Moreover, Ms. White led the DEAI (diversity, equity, access, and inclusion) work for the organization at the board, leadership, and staff levels while aligning the museum’s DEAI commitment and work in the community.
“After a nationwide search, it was clear that Tifferney’s varied museum experiences, leadership, and national ties within the children’s museum field make her uniquely poised to lead LCM and build on its strategic vision and mission — to engage our children’s potential and make that potential visible through play and shared explorations,” said G. Wogan Bernard, LCM board president. “Tifferney will lead a dynamic and dedicated team of LCM educators and professionals who, along with the board of directors, are excited to welcome her to New Orleans and our world-class facility and museum.”
As president and CEO of Discovery Children’s Museum in Las Vegas, Ms. White transformed the museum with a focus on collaboration with community organizations, the business community, and key stakeholders. She was responsible for the museum’s fiscal health, strategic direction, and management as well as the evolution of exhibition and program development, the visitor experience, and the preservation and maintenance of the museum’s assets, among other duties. Ms. White was also intimately instrumental in the development of the new $50 million museum project.
An Industry Leader
“Children’s museums are experiencing significant strategic growth in the areas of early learning and community collaborations that prioritize the community’s needs and aspirations,” said Ms. White. “The Louisiana Children’s Museum is clearly an industry leader in these efforts. I am honored to serve as LCM’s next CEO and carry forward the museum’s progressive educational framework centered on Louisiana’s early learners and their families.”
Ms. White also currently serves on the national board of the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) as vice president – governance.
Related: BoardWalk Consulting Selected to Find Chief Development Officer for Cleveland Institute of Music
Ms. White earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry as well as psychology from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. She also holds an executive master of business administration degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Founded in 1986, the Louisiana Children’s Museum is one of New Orleans’ premier attractions for children. The museum welcomes 147,000 visitors per year, engaging children, families, caregivers, and school groups in memorable interactive experiences designed to make learning fun. The museum’s 30,000 square feet of exhibit space and programs offer children a diverse set of activities that promote learning across many disciplines – from reading and math skills to architectural ideas and the nuances of grocery shopping – through interactive play.
Non-Profit Focused Recruiters
BoardWalk Consulting, based in Atlanta, is a national executive search firm that recruits CEOs and senior leadership for mission-driven non-profit organizations. Founded in 2002, the firm leads executive searches for clients from across the non-profit sector with global, national, regional, and local missions. Many of the firm’s team members have previously served as non-profit executives, grant makers, and board leaders. BoardWalk Consulting is also an active partner in Panorama, the global network of independent executive search firms.
Mr. Sparrow brings over two decades of experience in non-profit administration and performing arts venue management to BoardWalk’s clients. Since joining the firm in 2013, he has worked with a diverse scope of clients including those serving education, civil and human rights, public media, public safety, childhood diseases, museums, youth empowerment, environment and the needs of institutional churches.
Ms. Somerville has worked as a corporate consultant, product manager, and marketing expert. She brings a decade’s worth of experience in various business, marketing, and management roles. Ms. Somerville is an accomplished corporate strategist with a deep understanding of organizational management and operational effectiveness.
Related: BoardWalk Consulting Seeks President and CEO for Public Broadcasting Atlanta
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
