Project Leadership

Thanks to our many partners who have helped us realize the vision of a new Nature Museum.

A Public-Private Partnership

The reinvention of the Museum is a public-private partnership between Mecklenburg County, who owns the property and facility, and Discovery Place, which has operated the Museum since its doors opened to the Charlotte community in 1947.

Design & Construction

Design Partners

The Board of County Commissioners of Mecklenburg County approved the selection of Liollio Architecture and Hood Design Studio as the architectural team leading the planning and design. Plans were unveiled to the community in 2022.

Liollio Architecture

Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Liollio Architecture has been providing thoughtful, respectful, creative design since 1956. Their work spans both the private and public sectors, providing sustainable architecture, interior design and historic preservation. Liollio has built a reputation on design through community engagement and collaboration, and their work is rooted in the particulars of place, people and landscape.

Jennifer Charzewski

Jennifer Charzewski believes architecture is about people. The thoughtful development of places to gather, learn, work and play is an opportunity to celebrate the pride and the story of a community. She promotes both the well-being of the Liollio design studio and the communities that they serve. “Liollio is a family, and the talent, enthusiasm and commitment of our team makes our work a joy.”

A graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Minnesota, Jennifer is a past President of AIA Charleston, a member of the AIASC Disaster Assistance Committee, a volunteer for ACE Mentors and is working with an AIASC group to establish a committee for Equity in Architecture in South Carolina.

Hood Design

Charlotte native Walter Hood is the creative director and founder of Hood Design Studio in Oakland, CA. He is also a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and lectures on professional and theoretical projects nationally and internationally. He is a recipient of the 2017 Academy of Arts and Letters Architecture Award, 2019 Knight Public Spaces Fellowship, 2019 MacArthur Fellowship, 2019 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize and the 2021 recipient of the Architectural League’s President’s Medal award.

Rodgers Builders

Founded on the principles of strong leadership, ethical business practices and uncompromising standards of safety and quality, Rodgers Builders is nationally ranked and recognized as one of the top general contractors in the Southeast.

Board of Trustees

Stephanie Sadowski

Board Chair

Aditya Bhasin

Vice Chair Governance

Laura Bowles

Vice Chair Audit

Jeff Wallace

Vice Chair Finance & Investment

Sagar Rathie

Vice Chair Education, Experiences & Innovation

Tracy Kerrins

Vice Chair Human Capital

Stefanie Holland

Secretary

Rich Campbell

DPN Campaign Chair

Charlie Morris

Frank Chatman

Lindsay McCullough

Nazy Weeks

Reem Anani

Paul Camuti

Emily Henson

Ryan Fagan

Ben Pysch

Sushma Walker

Jason Bernd

Todd Gorelick

Linda Redding

Lindsay Gates

Marty Foley

Marla Reschly

Dennis Gada

Victoria Watlington

Board of Trustees

Stephanie Sadowski

Board Chair

Aditya Bhasin

Vice Chair Governance

Laura Bowles

Vice Chair Audit

Jeff Wallace

Vice Chair Finance & Investment

Sagar Rathie

Vice Chair Education, Experiences & Innovation

Tracy Kerrins

Vice Chair Human Capital

Stefanie Holland

Secretary

Rich Campbell

DPN Campaign Chair

Charlie Morris

Frank Chatman

Lindsay McCullough

Nazy Weeks

Reem Anani

Paul Camuti

Emily Henson

Ryan Fagan

Ben Pysch

Sushma Walker

Jason Bernd

Todd Gorelick

Linda Redding

Lindsay Gates

Marty Foley

Marla Reschly

Dennis Gada

Victoria Watlington

Thank You to Our Capital Campaign Donors

Laura Owens Visionary Society

C.D. Spangler Foundation
Albermarle Foundation

The Leon Levine Foundation
Howard R. Levine Foundation Fund—Howard and Julie Levine

Anke and Casey Mermans
Novant Health

Conservancy Circle

Aditya Bhasin and Catherine Lamont
NCFI/ Barnhardt Foundation
Sam, Laura, Addie and Erskine Bowles
Rob and Lindsay Carter
The Charlotte Knights
Crescent Communities
John Crosland III

Duke Energy Foundation
Martin and Leah Foley
William & Patricia Gorelick Family Foundation
Guild of Discovery Place
Jim and Bev Hance
Michael and Wendy Kahn
The Kerrins Family

Luther and Jane Lockwood
Movement Foundation
Philip L. Van Every Foundation
Stephanie Sadowski
The Sean and Andrea Smith Family Fund
Ann and Wellford Tabor

Piedmont Patrons

Anonymous
Maggie Adams
Akers Foundation
The Bailey Chipps Family Foundation
Joclyn and John Balanda
Christopher Baldwin
Tiffany & Jason Bernd
Blumenthal Foundation
Crandall Bowles
Erskine Bowles
Rich and Tracey Campbell
The Camuti Family Trust
Allison and Frank Chatman
Kevin and Christine Collins
Bryan Delaney
Deloitte
Marcy and Fred Dumas
Doug and Kim Easamann
Glenn & Stacey Eisenberg Family Foundation
Ryan and Julie Fagan
Bill and Linda McFarland Farthing

Heidi and Lee Fite
Flying Fish
Goodman Family Foundation – Chelsea Lawson
Dale F. Halton Foundation
Catherine Horne
Linda P. Hudson
Lowes
Stewart Malter
Robert Mansfield
Terry and Brenda Mareski
Kerri and Patrick Mast
Joan Lorden and Larry Mays
Jennifer and Jason McConnell
Anna and John McCoy
Lindsay and Stanton McCullough
Mike and Kate McDermott
Mark McGoldrick
Hunter and Jamie McLawhorn
John K. Moore
Caton and Charlie Morris
Lynette and Bill Morrissett

Margot & Charlie Brinley/Morrison Foundation
Christopher and Nicole Perri
PNC Bank
Larry and Dale Polsky
Walter S. Price
Ben and Cori Psych
Sagar Rathie and Devanshi Patel
Marla and Scott Reschly
The Sherrill Family and SteelFab, Inc.
Holly and Matthew Stubbing
Krista and Paul Tillman
Troy and Anna Tozzi
Vaulted Oak Brewery
Sushma and Eric Walker
Ed Weisiger Jr. and Betsy Fleming
Tom and Mary Zweng