President of Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry resigns amid financial woes
TAMPA Molly Demeulenaere is out as president and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry after a two-year tenure marked by persistent financial woes that started before her time but showed few signs of improvement.
Demeulenaere's departure was officially called a "resignation" in a news release Tuesday. But MOSI's board of directors met Feb. 28 to discuss a "leadership assessment," according to an agenda obtained by the Tampa Bay Times. Local officials close to the museum operations have questioned her long-term prospects since she was given the job.
In a statement, Demeulenaere said she was "proud of what we have accomplished as a team, serving our visitors and the Tampa Bay community as we pursued our mission of making a difference in people's lives by making science real."
Demeulenaere's exit comes at a critical time for the museum. MOSI is expected to relocate from its longtime E Fowler Avenue home in north Tampa to the downtown development of Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Bill Gates' Cascade Investment.
Read more: http://www.tbo.com/news/president-of-tampas-museum-of-science-and-industry-resigns-amid-financial-woes-20170307/