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
Kimberly Eul
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
Kimberly Eul
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