Adam Smith
Adam joined Exploration Place on November 11, 2019. He has led museums or has served in museum leadership positions since 2001 and has served in the museum field since 1997. He most recently was executive director for Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, California. Before Comic-Con Museum, Adam served as executive vice president at Commemorative Air Force, the world’s largest flying museum. He led the organization’s move from Midland, Texas, to the new headquarters in Dallas. The new museum location includes an Aviation Education Center and STEM innovation hangar, classrooms and exhibit space.
Adam also spent 11 years as museum director and vice president with the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he elevated its STEM-based learning, career development programming, distance learning and summer camps. Adam served with other museums as well, including the National Museums of Scotland, Lower Methil Heritage Trust and Pendle Heritage Centre.
Adam earned a postgraduate diploma in museum and gallery studies (Awarded With Distinction) from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and a Bachelor of Arts in Modern History (First Class Honors) from the University of Leeds, England. Originally from England, Smith has lived in the United States since 2001 but especially cherishes the time he spent in Wisconsin and is happy to be back in the Midwest.