CEO Neil Gordon Named Finalist for Nonprofit Excellence Award
BOSTON, MA (May 24, 2023) The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) announced that Discovery Museum CEO Neil Gordon has been selected as a finalist for the 2023 Nonprofit Excellence Award in the Leadership category.
The winners of the Nonprofit Excellence Awards will be announced during the awards ceremony, presented by Citizens, at the Massachusetts State House on Tuesday, June 6 at 10:00 am.
"We are thrilled to recognize Discovery Museum CEO Neil Gordon for his invaluable contributions to the Commonwealth," said Jim Klocke, CEO of MNN. "We look forward to recognizing Neil and the other Excellence Award finalists at the Nonprofit Excellence Awards on June 6."
The Excellence Award in Leadership recognizes a nonprofit chief or senior executive who has an extraordinary record of organizational results and exemplifies strategic vision, passion, integrity, innovation, perseverance, and a collaborative spirit. As CEO of Discovery Museum, Neil guided the beloved institution through more than a decade of transformative growth, successfully expanding access for children with disabilities, leading the industry on sustainability, and connecting kids and families with the joy and developmental and mental health benefits of nature play. Motivated by an unwavering commitment to families and to his staff, Neil, who will retire at the end of 2023, also deftly steered the organization through the pandemic, with the Museum emerging stronger than before.
The awards ceremony on June 6 will highlight the work of the nonprofit sector and raise awareness of important causes throughout Massachusetts. Awards will be presented to one finalist in each of the following six categories: Advocacy, Innovation, Leadership, Resilience, Small Nonprofit, and Young Professional.
This year, an independent panel of judges reviewed over 135 nominations for the Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The 30 finalists range from large education providers to small arts organizations, and represent different regions of Massachusetts.
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About the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network
The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) brings together nonprofits, funders, business leaders, and elected officials to strengthen nonprofits and raise the sector's voice on critical issues. MNN's mission is to strengthen the Massachusetts nonprofit sector through advocacy, public awareness, and capacity building. The network has more than 600 nonprofit member organizations and more than 100 business affiliate partners. http://massnonprofitnet.org/
About Discovery Museum
Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum that blends science, nature, and play, inspiring families to explore and learn together. The museum and its Discovery Woods accessible outdoor nature playscape and 550sf treehouse blend the best of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) learning on a beautiful 4.5-acre campus abutting 180 acres of conservation land in Acton, MA, about 20 miles west of Boston. Originally founded in 1982 and expanded to two museums in 1987, the museum reopened in a single, 16,000sf accessible building after a complete renovation and expansion in early 2018. Hands-on, open-ended exhibits developed by professional educators inspire curiosity and exploration, providing a fun and engaging experience for children and adults to discover their world together. Serving families and schools from towns throughout the region, the museum is devoted to informal education that enhances classroom learning. Discovery Museum is committed to accessibility, and is a proud recipient of the 2017 Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the only winner in the Access category, and a 2018 LEAD® Community Asset Award from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, please visit www.discoveryacton.org. Discovery Museum is a community-supported non-profit organization. Discovery Museum programming is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.