News release: September 18, 2007

Explorit Science Center has hired Lou Ziskind, a 27-year veteran of nonprofit administration, as executive director, succeeding Suzanne Ullensvang.

Ziskind began work Monday at the center, which serves about 74,000 people a year and has an annual budget surpassing $700,000. He comes to Davis from Bakersfield, where he was chief operations officer of the Joshua Tree Council of the Girl Scouts for nine years.

“I’m delighted with this opportunity,” Ziskind said. “Explorit’s informal science education opportunities are vitally important in the Sacramento region, and the board and staff have done a excellent job in the recent facility and program expansion. I look forward to helping the organization move forward from here."

“Lou’s depth and breadth of experience in the nonprofit world is exactly what we hoped to find,” said Bill Owens, president of the Explorit Board of Trustees. “He has all the necessary technical skills – in budget development, strategic planning and program implementation – as well as strong ‘people’ skills. He’ll make a terrific executive director.”

The public is invited to meet Ziskind at a farewell celebration for Ullensvang at Explorit’s main public facility, 2801 Second St. in Davis, at 4 p.m. Sept. 30. Ullensvang is moving on to other opportunities after 14 years at Explorit.

“Suzanne leaves very big shoes to fill at Explorit, but I’m confident that Lou Ziskind will succeed,” says Dr. Rick Baker, vice president of Explorit’s board and head of the four-month search for Ullensvang’s successor.

“Co-founder Anne Hance led Explorit through its infancy, Suzanne took it through its big growth years, and Lou will take it into full maturity,” said Baker, a pediatrician.

In Bakersfield, Ziskind was responsible for four Girl Scout regions encompassing 17,000 square miles. In addition to budget oversight, he promoted community partnerships, managed grant funds and supervised volunteer training and membership programs.

From the 1980s through mid-1990s, he served nonprofit organizations in the Sacramento area, including Suicide Prevention Service, the Sacramento Job Corps and Freedom From Hunger in Davis. He got his start in the nonprofit field as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia, South America, where he became adept at speaking Spanish.

Explorit Science Center engages children and adults throughout the greater Sacramento area in hands-on science discovery. Programs travel to schools and community sites in 13 counties and are offered at the family-friendly museum in Davis. Nature-related field trips and special events are held Explorit’s Mace Park Branch.