First Lady of Science
As a stream of air keeps
balls suspended above
the Bernoulli Blower in
the Kemper and Ethel
Marley Foundation
Gallery, Arizona Science
Center President and
CEO Chevy Humphrey
provides the energy to
power the 164,000-
square foot downtown
Phoenix facility.
Humphrey joined the Arizona Science Center in 1998 and has held three roles prior to her current one: chief operating officer, executive vice president and vice president of marketing and development. In acknowledgment of her leadership excellence, she has received numerous honors, including being named the Tribute to Leadership Honoree by the YWCA Maricopa County and being honored as one of Phoenix Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs. She also was selected in 2001 to the first-year class of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Piper Fellow program.
Humphrey is neither shy nor timid. Her first job was selling tickets with the Houston Symphony. The director would stop by to ask where the financials would be after the weekend, and each time she was able to give him an accurate forecast. “Wait a minute,” she said. “If you’re asking me, I can do what you’re doing.”
His answer? “Yes, you’re right.” At age 23, she knew she wanted to be CEO of a nonprofit.
When Sheila Grinnell, her predecessor at the Science Center, recruited her for development, Humphrey’s answer was, “Yes, I’ll do that – if you train me to do what you do.” They shook hands; it was a deal.
In her role as president and CEO for the $8 million organization, Humphrey is charged with overseeing the development, implementation and evaluation of long-range planning in conjunction with the board of directors. She crisscrosses the country and travels the world, visiting other science centers to learn from them and to share what is happening in Arizona. “I think we rival the best centers out there because we’re strategic, but we’re also nimble and agile. That is beneficial for an organization’s growth,” she says.
She sums up the culture at the Science Center in one word: Excellence.
In 2009, the Science Center undertook a major revamp. “It’s science,” says Humphrey. “Science is about constant change. If you’re static, then you’re not growing. There are always new things, and you have to stay ahead of that.”
Visitors to the Science Center love participation and want to have a say in their learning, she says. “We embraced that by creating a division of interpreters on the floors. We pay new graduates to interpret the science and begin new conversations with families and kids. We’re all learning together.”
While the Center’s Dean Briere is in charge of programs and operations, and Dr. Sharon Kortman is VP of learning, as CEO, Humphrey is hands-on. For her, the fun is the creativity. In addition to her global travel, she says much of her A youngster tries his hand at the Bernoulli Blower
inspiration comes from the programs of Arizona State University, the University
of Arizona and Northern Arizona University.
“I’m a life-long learner,” she says. “I love to share with people what I know and have learned, and I also love to learn from others’ experiences and what they know.”
To keep the entire team engaged in learning, Humphrey recently instituted a program requiring every senior manager – no matter what job title they hold – to spend four hours a month on the floor of the Science Center. That includes Humphrey. “My four hours were incredible,” she says.
Humphrey calls the Arizona Science Center board “thoughtful leaders.”
“They inspire me to break the barriers and give me free rein to push the envelope. I’m a lucky CEO because I have a board that supports me. We can and will do more.”
In October 2013, Humphrey was elected board chair of the executive committee for the Association of Science-Technology Centers, an international organization that represents science centers and museums in 45 countries. As board chair, she oversees the nonprofit organization that provides support to science centers and museums worldwide.
Her vision is global. She envisions a world 20 years from now in which virtual technology and communication will make exhibits created at the Arizona Science Center accessible to children in Sri Lanka, and exhibits in Sri Lanka accessible to children in Phoenix. “We’ll have a sense of place,” she says, “but our experiences will go beyond our own walls.
“I love my job. I say that every year. I’m always learning. It fits me.”
The Arizona Science Center’s annual fundraising event, Galaxy Gala, is Feb. 8. The sold-out event with the theme “Believe” promises illusions and unexpected feats. Beyond that, organizers aren’t divulging details of the fun that awaits.
