Jeanne Gerulskis began her tenure as the Discovery Center’s Executive Director in 1997, when the museum was still the stand-alone Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. Under her leadership, the original planetarium transformed into a 45,000-square-foot air and space museum dedicated to New Hampshire space pioneers Christa McAuliffe and Alan Shepard. Jeanne spearheaded the effort to transition the museum from a state agency to a 100% independent nonprofit, complete with a Science Playground, new collections and archives system, and an upgraded planetarium—which is now one of only four in North America with a 10K projection system. After nearly three decades of service, Jeanne will be stepping down from her role to enjoy a well-earned retirement.
Jeanne grew up in Norwood, MA and earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Williams College. She began her career in museums at Ketchikan Museums in Alaska, where for eight years she oversaw all of the exhibits and programs at Tongass Historical Museum and Totem Heritage Center, before returning to New England to take up her current position.
In her free time, Jeanne enjoys wandering through the woods with her two border collies, visiting her son and daughter-in-law in Portugal, hiking with her niece in the Granite State and gathering with family on the Cape and Islands. Jeanne looks forward to using her retirement to return to her love of writing, performing, and completing a lifelong goal of exploring Greenland.