Feb

Best and brightest chosen for leadership development program

The Smithsonian Leadership Development Program was created in 2007 to cultivate the next generation of leaders at the Smithsonian. The program provides professional development, training and mentoring designed to create a pan-Institutional team ready to face the Smithsonian’s future challenges and opportunities. This year the program has been renamed the Russell E. Palmer Leadership Development Program to honor National Board Member Russell Palmer’s continued support and guidance of this important initiative.

Twenty-five participants from across the Smithsonian have been named to this year’s class. They are:

Susan Ades–National Zoo, Director of Exhibits
Wystan Benbow–Astrophysical Observatory, Astrophysicist
Kara Blond–Natural History, Chief of Exhibition Development and Project Management
Duane Blue Spruce–American Indian Museum, Facilities Planning Coordinator
Francisco Camacho–Office of the Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Specialist
Lucia DeRespinis–American Indian Museum, Director of Development & Communications
Timothy Grove–Air and Space, Chief of Education
Farhana Hossain–Office of Human Resources, Lead Human Resources Specialist
Tova Jaffe–Smithsonian Enterprises, Business Development and Finance Director
Jaya Kaveeshwar–Office of Planning, Management and Budget, Program and Budget Analyst
Christopher Lethbridge–Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations, Architect/Project Manager
Bonnie Lilienfeld–American History, Deputy Chair and Supervisory Curator
Robert McKinney–Office of Protection Services, Security Manager Isabel Meyer–Office of the Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Specialist
Elizabeth Musteen Allison–Natural History, Chief of Multi-Media, Lighting and Graphic Production
Victoria Portway–Air and Space, Chair of Web & New Media
Budhan Pukazhenthi–Conservation Biology Institute, Research Physiologist
Alyssa Reiner–Office of Contracting &Personal Property Management, Attorney Advisor
Robert Robertson–American History, Director of Exhibit Technology Group
Mauricio Rodriguez–Office of Engineering Design & Construction, Design Manager and Mechanical Engineer
Deborah Swinson–Air and Space, Financial Manager
Michelle Torres-Carmona–Traveling Exhibition Service, Director of Scheduling & Exhibitor Relations
Amy Van Allen–American Indian Museum, Public Outreach Manager
Bill Watson–Natural History Museum, Chief of Learning Experiences and Evaluation
Lee Weigt–Natural History Museum, Head of Laboratories of Analytical Biology