Museum Names Kurt Beecher President
Beecher, a longtime miSci staffer, takes over leadership of the Schenectady museum after the death of former president Chris Hunter.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in People
The Board of Directors of the Museum of Innovation and Science has appointed Kurt Beecher as president. Beecher has worked at miSci since 2017 and will continue managing exhibits while leading the organization.
Why it matters
The appointment fills the museum's top leadership role after the death of previous president Chris Hunter about six months earlier. Beecher will also oversee ongoing renovations at the Schenectady institution.
Beecher has programmed more than 30 computerized interactive experiences since joining miSci. The appointment followed the death of former president Chris Hunter, who was 54 years old, about six months earlier.
The players
Kurt Beecher
Kurt Beecher is a museum educator and exhibits specialist who rose from planetarium operator at the Museum of Innovation and Science to its president, and he is originally from Coxsackie.
Museum of Innovation and Science (miSci)
The Museum of Innovation and Science is a science museum in Schenectady, New York, that runs exhibits, a planetarium and STEAM education programs.
The details
Beecher began at miSci in 2017 as a planetarium operator and museum educator, then joined the exhibits team in 2020. He has worked on multiple STEAM gallery exhibits and will oversee renovations that include more classrooms, expanded gallery space and modernized facilities.
Timeline
2017: Beecher begins working at miSci as a planetarium operator.
2020: Beecher joins the museum's exhibits team.
About six months before the appointment: previous president Chris Hunter dies.
November 1, 2026: Beecher is appointed president.
Leadership Lineage
Beecher's rise from planetarium operator to museum president follows the in-house development path that miSci has used for its STEAM gallery exhibits. The succession comes as the museum pursues renovations that add classrooms and expand gallery space.
Visitors to the museum will see renovations that add classrooms and expand gallery space under Beecher's leadership. The changes could affect how and when school groups and public visitors access exhibits.
The takeaway
Museum leadership transitions often carry through existing projects, and Beecher's dual role managing exhibits while leading the institution suggests continuity for visitors. Readers interested in the museum's renovation timeline should watch for future announcements from miSci.
Further reading
For more on local leadership changes, see People coverage in Schenectady.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NEWS10 ABC.
