Meanwhile... at the Museum

Katherine Gould, Curator of History Objects and Fine Art

Though collecting objects is just one part of what a museum does, it is a very important one. But why is it important to collect objects like a safe, bed or small piece of rope? Today we're digging into that question with Katherine Gould, our Curator of History Objects and Fine Art. We'll also learn about Katherine's path to becoming our curator, and about some of her favorite objects in the collection, like a fallout shelter toilet. 

Graham Turner, Assistant Manager of Museum Engagement

15 years ago, a child wandered into CMC and never left. Now that child is an adult, and that adult is Graham Turner, an Assistant Manager of Museum Engagement. Join us as we talk to Graham about our room full of things in jars, his time in CMC's Youth Programs, that time he ran away to the circus at age 6, and just how passionate Graham is about Cincinnati Museum Center.

Charisse Lawrence, Director of Guest Experience

A family walks into Union Terminal for the first time, overwhelmed by not just by the sheer scale of the Rotunda, but by the plethora of options before them. History museum, science museum, children’s museum, OMNIMAX Theater, featured exhibitions, programs, Membership, our friends in the Holocaust & Humanity Center?! Luckily, a friendly face is waiting to help these baby birds out of the nest: Charisse Lawrence. In a way, without Charisse you wouldn't be listening to this podcast, since she trained Cody at the box office 13 years ago! Join us as we talk to Charisse about reading and guiding museum-goers, favorite family meals, and her go-to karaoke song.

Cody Hefner, Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Today we are flipping the script, as we welcome CMC President & CEO Elizabeth Pierce back to the pod as host instead of guest. We've learned a lot about Cody over the previous 20 episodes, but now we're ready to turn things around and dig into his story. We'll talk about his 13 years with CMC, his path to being a Marketing VP with a graduate degree in history, and oh so many shenanigans. 
 
And as requested, here's a playlist of just a few of Cody's finest moments. 
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKg_QLggSmtjJTGgI4p8s_I26FAVRQH_l&si=cXMwz4-f5ilnntrF

Marc Staubitz, Manager of Exhibits AV & IT

Museums are full of technology (try counting how many screens, projectors, buttons and digital interactives you come across on your next visit!). And someone needs to develop, manage and troubleshoot all that tech. Enter Marc Staubitz. As our Manager of Exhibits AV and IT, Marc handles all the tech in exhibits, from the Quizinnati game in our You Are Here exhibit to the ancient aquarium screens in Ancient Worlds Hiding in Plain Sight. In this episode, we talk to Marc about his career path, his many hobbies including rowing, fencing, caving and more. We also dig into Marc's German roots to answer the important questions like where to get the best authentic German food in Cincinnati, and if David Hasselhoff is really that popular in Germany. 

Mary Fitzpatrick, Museum Engagement Specialist

Though Mary Fitzpatrick has been a CMC employee since 2018, she's been with us as long as we've been in Union Terminal as a volunteer! As a Museum Engagment Specialist, Mary brings her knowledge, passion, and energy to our guests. In this episode, we'll talk to Mary about her role here, her path to employment here after a fascinating career of volunteering around Cincinnati and a wide variety of jobs, and a whole lot more. 

Gwen Elliott, Director of Community Collaborations

Today's guest has been an improv actor at Chicago's Second City, a nanny, a professional hamburger thief, and more. Here at CMC, we know her as Gwen Elliott, Director of Community Collaborations. In addition to managing theme days like 1940s Day, Gwen works on making Museum Center as accessible for all people as possible. Tune in as we dig into Gwen's journey to CMC, her history with improv, and how to survive a building full of taxidermy if you have a crippling fear of taxidermy. 

Nathaniel Weyman, Guest Experience Manager

As any visitor to CMC who has interacted with him knows, our guest today has a passion for people. A Guest Experience Manager, Nathaniel Weyman makes it his mission to give each guest the best experience possible. We'll talk tips for the best photos in the museum, food recommendations, and... coming face to face with great white sharks in South Africa?! Get ready to meet Nathaniel, Nathan, Nate, Nate the Great, and more here on Meanwhile... at the Museum!

Mitch Seifert, Director of Video Production

If you've been listening to this podcast, you may have picked up on frequent references to someone named Mitch, who Cody likes to talk about like he's in the room. And he is - Mitch is the producer of this podcast, and is in the room for each recording session to monitor levels and direct Cody and our guests. But Mitch's title is Director of Video Production, which means that this podcast is just one aspect of his job at CMC. We'll get into what else he gets up to, his journey from local sports television to the museum world, and his history as a star of the (grade school) stage.

Bob Genheimer, Curator of Archaeology

From his earliest days exploring the woods near Clifton, Bob Genheimer knew he was interested in digging up history. When he learned what archaeology was, he finally had a name for his passion. And that's how he ended up in a toilet. Many toilets in fact - 19th century privy shafts, it turns out, are treasure troves of knowledge. One of Bob's favorite stories involves a policeman in a privy. We'll talk to him about that, his first experience at Union Terminal, and the dig into the course of his career, which includes 33 years here at CMC.