We sat down with our new Experience Director, Tim Hecox, to discuss his path to World Forestry Center and what makes a good experience.
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Experience Director
“My love of museums and passion for informal science education began with the opportunity to live and work in Yosemite National Park shortly after graduating high school. My time in Yosemite led me to pursue a degree in Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation from Humboldt State University and secure a seasonal position as an Interpretive Park Ranger Naturalist where I led seven-day educational backpacking trips in Yosemite’s High Sierra.
After college and what became nine years working in Yosemite, I moved north to Portland and found a wealth of opportunity to apply my experience in program development at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Over my twelve-year tenure at OMSI, I held a variety of positions in outreach and museum education, exhibit development, project management, community engagement, and strategic fundraising.”
Where were you before World Forestry Center?
“Prior to World Forestry Center, I was in an interim leadership position as the Senior Manager of Exhibits, Programs, and Collections at Pittock Mansion. The goal of my position was to support the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and advance efforts to develop new exhibit experiences that were culturally inclusive and personally relevant to Portland’s diverse communities.
What brought you to World Forestry Center?
“I was looking for a new opportunity to apply my combined experience in exhibit and program development, fundraising, and nonprofit leadership to support an organization with a mission I felt passionate about supporting. The Director of Experience position stood out as a perfect fit. I am especially excited about joining World Forestry Center to develop a new vision for public programming, including virtual and in-person museum experiences, that aim to take action on solving the most urgent issues threatening the health of our forest such as mitigating the risk of catastrophic forest fires.”
What do you think makes a good experience?
“I believe the most powerful and impactful experiences are those that are developed in collaboration with our local community. Throughout my time in the museum sector, I have partnered with numerous community members and cultural organizations to ensure the development of exhibits and programs are culturally and personally relevant to the audiences we most want to reach. I am excited for the opportunity to collaborate with new and existing partners to inform and deliver a new vision for public programming at World Forestry Center. ”