GREENVILLE, SC – January 14, 2019 – The Children’s Museum of The Upstate (TCMU) is pleased to announce the promotion of Jami Wood Emory to Vice President of Development, and Jessica Hayes to Vice President of Education and Programming. Ms. Emory and Ms. Hayes along with Chief Operating Offer David Wood, and Interim President & CEO Michelle Shain, will now serve on the senior management team at TCMU.
Ms. Emory has been at TCMU since May of 2016, responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with individual, corporate and foundation donors to secure funds that grow and support the museum’s extraordinary programs, exhibits and guest experiences. Previously, she was with Spartanburg Regional Foundation for almost 12 years. Ms. Emory has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Appalachian State and a Master of Business Degree in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Ms. Hayes has more than 11 years of professional educational experience. She joined TCMU in 2015. Formerly, she was a Program Specialist at Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville, NC which is a satellite of Discovery Place in Charlotte. Ms. Hayes has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child and Family Development from UNC-Charlotte and a Master of Arts Degree in Early Childhood from the University of North Dakota. She has worked collaboratively within the community to bring in offerings related to inclusion, art, STEM programs, and early childhood education. Ms. Hayes is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the American Alliance of Museums. In her new role, Ms. Hayes will serve as TCMU’s Smithsonian Affiliations liaison to continue to bring Smithsonian programming to TCMU.
TCMU’s Interim President & CEO, Michelle Shain, notes that the promotions are well deserved, stating, “The experience and passion that both Ms. Hayes and Ms. Emory bring to TCMU help the museum carry out its mission every day.” She adds, “TCMU’s successes, and the many ways it serves the Upstate community, can be directly tied to their ongoing dedication and leadership initiatives. We are proud of their accomplishments and excited to see what they will deliver in 2019 and beyond.”
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About the The Children's Museum of the Upstate (TCMU)
The Children's Museum of The Upstate opened in 2009. Conveniently offering reciprocal memberships in two locations, TCMU's downtown Greenville location allows visitors to experience 80,000 square feet and 19 exhibit galleries, with components and programming in the areas of arts, humanities, sciences, health, nutrition, and the environment, suitable to children ages 1-15. TCMU's downtown Spartanburg location offers 6,000 square feet of exhibits and programs designed to support preschool children ages birth - 5. With exhibits specific to Spartanburg's landmarks, culture, and community, the museum features 7 exhibits, including a hospital exhibit, a water table with replicas of the Pacolet and Tyger Rivers, and a treehouse hosting replicas of South Carolina's native plants and birds. TCMU is the nation's 7th largest children's museum and 10th largest in the world. As the nation's first children's museum to become a Smithsonian Affiliate, there are new and exciting programs developed for every age level to stimulate creativity and stirs the imagination. For more information visit www.tcmupstate.org.
