Board & Leadership

Barry Van Deman is an accomplished nonprofit executive who has led organizational change efforts, strategic planning, and growth in four museums. With a lifelong passion for science and science education, Barry applied his experience and expertise as CEO, grantmaker, author, consultant, teacher, board member, and volunteer. He held executive leadership roles in museums and in the federal government, as well as in teaching and school administration, K-12 and undergraduate and graduate levels. Most recently, Barry served as President and CEO of the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina, as well as Senior Fellow at the Institute for Learning Innovation, Secretary/Treasurer of the Durham Tourism Development Authority Board, and advisor to MuseumExpert.org.

Prior to moving to Durham, he headed the Informal Science Education program at the National Science Foundation. Barry has held senior leadership positions in museums in Chicago and Orlando, and early in his career taught elementary and secondary school science, and undergraduate and graduate education; served in school administration, and co-authored elementary science textbook series for Harcourt School Publishers. He served as vice president of the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) Board; treasurer of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) board; president of the North Carolina Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative; and chair of the North Carolina Science Network (NCSN) board.