Children’s Museum at Holyoke Appoints New Executive Director

HOLYOKE — The Children’s Museum at Holyoke celebrated 40 years of growth and service earlier this year, and hopes to accelerate its success with the appointment of new Executive Director Jenny Powers. She succeeds Susan Kelley, who retired earlier this year.

Powers’s background includes work in public school and museums, as well as a long history of volunteering with Girl Scouts in Holyoke and homeschooling her own child.

“Directing the Children’s Museum is a dream come true for me,” she said. “I spent so many happy hours here playing with my son. We visited at least once a week for many years. This museum is a gift to the families of Holyoke and throughout the region.”

The Children’s Museum at Holyoke was founded in 1981 by the Junior League and was incorporated in 1984. It exists to ensure that any child who is interested can take advantage of the educational and cultural programming. Powers hopes to build on this legacy.

“It’s amazing how far the Children’s Museum has come from its beginning 40 years ago. I am so excited to help the museum grow even further and to expand what we can offer here for families, schools, and people who care for children,” she said.

Powers hopes to increase community partnerships and bring the museum outside of its four walls into the community. “Museums are a place for everyone. We want to serve as many children as possible and deepen our impact on each child. Informal learning opportunities are crucial to support the learning that happens in school each day, but my favorite part is the memories that families create and the emotional bonds that are strengthened by families playing and learning together.”

Ray Drewnowski, president of the museum’s board of directors, added that “we are thrilled to welcome Jenny as our new executive director. As we celebrate our 40 years and look forward to continued growth, we are excited for the many new opportunities that Ms. Powers brings to the museum. Her energy, enthusiasm, and vision are just what we need as we build upon our strong foundation.”