StaffInspiring a Deeper Interest in Science and Technology

Adam Smith

Adam Smith has served as President and CEO of Exploration Place since November 2019. During his tenure, the museum has strengthened its financial position, increased attendance, and advanced a major campus expansion that includes a large-scale outdoor adventure playscape.

Adam has had a lifelong passion for museums and has worked in them since the age of 18. He has held senior leadership roles at institutions in both the United States and the United Kingdom, including the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego, the Commemorative Air Force in Dallas, the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, and the National Museum of Flight in Scotland.

Originally from England and now a U.S. citizen, Adam holds a postgraduate diploma in Museum and Gallery Studies from the University of St Andrews and a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Leeds. He currently serves on the boards of Visit Wichita, the Giant Screen Cinema Association, and the Savvy Aviation Foundation. He is an instrument-rated pilot and currently flies a Vans RV-4.

Kent Shank

Kent has worked in the museum industry for more than 35 years, including more than 19 years at Exploration Place. He is responsible for the financial and human resource functions of the museum. Kent spent 16 years at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center as Vice President of Finance and Human Resources, where he was responsible for the finance and human resource functions as well as many operations functions throughout his career there. Before Exploration Place, he worked for Via Christi Senior Services, Inc. as Regional Director of Finance. Kent received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Kansas State University.

Erin Manning, MBA

Erin Manning serves as Vice President of Marketing at Exploration Place, where she leads brand strategy, audience growth and experiential marketing across the museum’s programs, events and large-scale initiatives. Since joining the organization in 2021, she has played a key role in expanding Exploration Place’s visibility and reach through integrated marketing, community engagement and signature guest experiences.

In addition to overseeing the marketing team, Erin directs strategy for major public events, Dome programming and performances in the Wichita Foundation Amphitheater, ensuring each experience reflects Exploration Place’s mission to inspire curiosity and discovery. Her work bridges storytelling, data-driven strategy and on-site experience design to connect with families, members and visitors across the region.

Erin’s leadership and impact have been recognized locally and regionally, including being named one of the 2026 Women Who Lead by the Wichita Business Journal and 2023 Marketer of the Year by the Wichita chapter of the American Marketing Association. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Wichita State University and a Master of Business Administration from Friends University.

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Garion Masterson

Garion Masterson joined Exploration Place in 2026 as Vice President of Experience & Learning, where he leads the teams responsible for creating meaningful, memorable experiences for guests across Visitor Services, the Explore Store, Food & Beverage and educational programming throughout the State of Kansas and at Exploration Place.

With a career rooted in live experiences and public engagement, Garion brings a passion for curiosity-driven learning and storytelling to his work. His background spans educational attractions, marketing, public relations and large-scale live events – fields united by a shared focus on connection, creativity and audience experience.

A proud small-town Kansas native from Clearwater, KS, Garion was a member of the original opening team at Field Station: Dinosaurs in Derby, Kansas, when the attraction debuted in 2018. As Associate Producer, he helped design and execute daily live content and guest experiences. He later became Managing Director in 2019, overseeing day-to-day operations, marketing, public relations, staffing, strategic planning and special events for the award-winning attraction.

Garion is an alumnus of Emporia State University, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in Music (Digital Audio Production) and Communication (Public Relations). During his time at ESU, he was deeply involved in campus life – serving in leadership roles across multiple student organizations, acting as Technical Director for the improv comedy troupe Zoiks! and stage managing more than 100 live events annually at the historic Albert Taylor Hall.

Following graduation, Garion returned to the Wichita area and joined RSM Marketing as an outsourced Marketing Director, where he sharpened his skills in brand strategy and business development. He partnered with clients across industries, including retail, food service, professional services and consumer goods – helping organizations clarify their message and connect authentically with their audiences.

Outside of work, Garion is married to his high school sweetheart and is a proud girl dad of two. He enjoys live events, board games, native plant gardening and any opportunity to bring people together. At heart, he is a relationship builder – driven by curiosity, collaboration and the belief that great experiences have the power to educate, inspire and unite communities.

Victoria Mitchell

Victoria serves as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Exploration Place, where she helps bring the museum’s strategic plan to life. In this role, she works closely with senior leadership to guide major initiatives, coordinate work across departments, solve complex challenges, and keep long-term priorities moving forward.

Victoria most recently led the EP2 Initiative, Exploration Place’s major outdoor expansion. This multi-phase project includes the Wichita Foundation Amphitheater, which opened in fall 2024, and the Adventure Playscape, a 6.5-acre destination playscape that opened in March 2026. In this role, she helped guide the vision, design, strategy, and cross-disciplinary collaboration behind the museum’s most ambitious project since Exploration Place opened in 2000.

Since joining Exploration Place in 2014, Victoria has held several roles across the organization, including education, exhibits, programs, facilities, and strategic project leadership. This broad experience gives her a deep understanding of the museum’s mission, operations, and guest experience, and informs her approach to institutional planning, public engagement, and long-term growth.

Laura Roddy

Laura joined Exploration Place in 2021 after five years in a similar role at Mark Arts. She is also a former president of the Junior League of Wichita and has worked as a contributing editor for The Journal of the Kansas Leadership Center, copy editor for the Dallas Morning News and public information officer for the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature.

Laura earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in communication from Wichita State University. She has been an Exploration Place member since 2006, spending countless hours enjoying the exhibits. Once, as a Girl Scout leader, she and her troop even camped out overnight in the Where Kids Rule exhibit.

Blake Benton

Dustin Hendricks

Dustin has been a part of the Exploration Place team since before the museum opened. He is a lifelong Wichitan and has more than 25 years of customer service experience. At Exploration Place, he oversees the museum’s facilities, grounds safety and security. His team plays an important role in the guest experience. Prior to becoming the Director of Facilities, Grounds & Security, he was the Director of Visitor Services for more than a decade and Visitor Services Manager for 10 years.

Brooke Rowzee-Graham

Brooke joined Exploration Place in 2021 after 10 years working in New York City. She has over a decade of experience in stage management, attraction management, and guest experiences. Prior to joining Exploration Place, Brooke worked at esteemed institutions like the Santa Fe Opera, Juilliard, Wicked: the Musical, the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey and had the privilege of being Kathy Najimy’s personal assistant. She achieved a remarkable feat as the manager of two cutting-edge attractions, the Vessel and Edge at Hudson Yards, where she spearheaded the development of operational procedures, training programs, and guest experience processes.

Brooke’s passion for science ignited during her time as the Associate Director of New Jersey’s Field Station: Dinosaurs. This passion led her to dinosaur excavations with paleontologists and volunteering as a Fossil Explainer at the prestigious American Museum of Natural History. As Director of Exhibits, she will channel her passion for science to create memorable guest experiences through captivating, fun, and educational exhibits at Exploration Place.

Brooke earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance at Southwestern College in Winfield, KS.

JoAnna Strecker

JoAnna joined Exploration Place as the Director of Education in 2026, where she leads the camp, field trip and outreach programs. She earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and her master’s in teaching from Southwestern College before beginning her career as a high school science teacher at Augusta High School, where she taught for six years.

She then moved to Hutchinson, Kansas, joining the Cosmosphere as a museum educator and eventually serving as Vice President of Education. During her eight years there, she helped implement and grow a revamped camp program that launched in 2020. While she loved developing innovative educational experiences, her favorite part was watching kids discover the joy of science and fall in love with learning.

Now in Wichita, JoAnna is excited to bring her passion for science education to Exploration Place and help inspire the next generation of curious scientists, explorers and innovators.