From Member #76010 To My Fellow NSS Members:
Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation. These are my personal observations based on my direct interaction with the board as well as other NSS members. I have serious concerns about the immediate future of the NSS based on what, in my opinion ... Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
Some of you are aware that a team that I put together was in the process of developing the auditorium space at the NSS Headquarters in Huntsville into a world-class museum. Its main focus was to be caving; the science of speleology and other sciences that are closely associated to caving. The museum would have been called the NSS Cave and Natural History Museum and a non-profit organization had been formed called the NSS Cave Museum Foundation.
I and our team have been producing large, science-based public events in Huntsville for the last six years, engaging with tens of thousands of community members each year. I have personally been in the field of museum exhibit design for 30 years and have been a part of founding two museums. I used some significant political capital to secure community support for what everyone we spoke with saw as a great opportunity to bring something wonderful to our community and to benefit NSS members.
The museum project for the NSS came about because on March 14, 2026, at a meeting of the NSS Board of Governors at the Huntsville Headquarters, our team gave a one hour presentation that included a questions and answer period where we engaged with pretty much every board member present, along with some that attended virtually. You can see the presentation slides here, but there was a significant amount of explanatory discussion as well.
I flew in Dr. Scott Persons, a renowned museum director and whose museum in Wyoming was donating on a long-term loan one of the largest Triceratops skeletons ever found – a real fossil – with a value of between $5 million and $8 million. He is a Director at the South Carolina State Museum and addressed the reasons why having a real dinosaur skeleton would not only bring tens of thousands of visitors each year to the museum, but would also help establish the museum not just as a nexus for cave research and preservation, but also for associated disciplines such as archaeology, paleontology, geology and biology. Dr. Sabiha Runa gave a presentation about how she would create our community outreach and donor and sponsor programs, and addressed her long and successful experience as a grant writer. These are roles she would head up for the museum. Present to answer questions, but not formally presenting were Dr. Richard Hoover, the former Director for NASA’s Astrobiology Research Program. He would have been instrumental in developing much of the scientific content for our ice cave exhibit, donating his collection of extremophiles that he had collected over decades of ice cave exploration and research. Lowell Zoller was also present to talk about his donation of an incredibly comprehensive collection of rocks and minerals. Mr. Zoller was a NASA nuclear physicist and also the head of NASA’s collaborative program with the European Space Agency. These were just some of those present who would make the Cave and Natural History Museum a world-class institution. A number of prominent business executives who have supported our educational initiatives since 2019 in Huntsville also attended the March 14th meeting.
The NSS Board motion that was unanimously approved on March 14 was “Johnson moves to authorize a $190,000 promissory note from the Beech(sic) Fund to fund museum costs upon signing of a lease agreement with the as yet unnamed "NSS Cave and Natural History Museum.” During the meeting, the NSS Treasurer stated that these monies would be made available Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
I can’t overemphasize the enthusiasm that most of the Board and Executive Committee showed for the project. Just a few days after that March 14th meeting, the NSS Treasurer went with me to Regions Bank and became a signer on the new NSS Cave Museum Foundation bank account because she had agreed to serve as the Museum Foundation’s board and as treasurer, pending approval of the NSS Board. I had, upon the NSS Board's approval, renamed an existing but unused museum 501c3 by filing the appropriate paperwork with the State of Alabama.
Based on the board’s and executive leadership’s enthusiasm and support, our team moved forward with all haste to ensure that we would have a successful project. As someone who has worked with non-profits for several decades, I am aware that when a governing board passes a motion or resolution by a valid majority, that decision binds the non-profit as an organization. I and our team moved forward based on that understanding of how non-profit boards and organizations work. You can find information on the specific team members on this web page. Our team and I spent many hundreds of hours on the hundreds of details that go into establishing a museum of the significance that the Cave and Natural History Museum would become. One of the actions we took was to take some of our core team members on a professional development program to a newly opened museum in New Jersey. Because of my relationship with the Executive Director and founder of that museum, we got to spend an entire day workshopping with their executive staff. This was very productive and an incredible learning opportunity for the team. The only reason the NSS Treasurer, who had planned on being on the Museum Foundation Board, didn’t go was that she had a previously planned training program, but she expressed to me her sincere disappointment that she was missing out. I also invited an NSS Board member who had previously expressed her intent to be a part of the initial museum Board. Likewise, she said she was sorry she couldn’t make it due to work commitments but continued to express her enthusiasm for the project.
A few of the things we moved forward on after the March meeting through June:
At the special NSS Board meeting on June 29th, they rescinded the March 14 vote in support of the museum. Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
Our more than 100 combined years of museum experience, along with the support of dozens of museum professionals and other museums, would have allowed us to create one of the most unique museum spaces and experiences in North America. A truly immersive and interactive space that would also have served to meet every element of the NSS mission and dramatically grow its membership and provide awareness of the NSS conservation efforts. This museum would have become an incredible benefit for all NSS members. From the very beginning, the now former Executive Director made clear that this would be a free benefit for NSS members and their immediate family members. There would be six main attractions in the museum space:
1. A state-of-the-art Cave Simulator with over 350 feet of tunnels and chambers. These would be designed for both training purposes and to educate the public about caves, cave conservation and caving safety. In fact, a cave rescue training section would be integrated into the simulator for use by first responders;
2. A small paleontology hall that would house a real Triceratops skeleton along with exhibitory showcasing the long historical association of caves and paleontological discoveries and research;
3. A simulated Ice Cave, designed in collaboration with NASA researchers, including the former director of NASA’s Astrobiology division. This museum element would have showcased the unique extremophiles that live in ice caves as well as the unique structures found in these remarkable places;
4. A very special lava tube exhibit that would focus not just on terrestrial lava tubes, but on those discovered on the moon and other planets. This would have been a unique interactive experience of maneuvering a virtual robotic explorer in lava tubes on the moon and Mars;
5. A history of the NSS shown through a dynamic and interactive series of displays featuring over 100 years of the history of caving as shown through the NSS artifacts located at the headquarters and offered as additional donations;
6. An extensive, comprehensive and valuable geology collection that was being donated by a retired NASA scientist who had spent over 60 years assembling this remarkable collection. He was also donating the funding for the display elements to showcase his collection.
Now, on July 13, we learn from an NSS Board posting that the Executive Director is no longer in her position. There were, until I was denied access to the NSS Community facebook page, over 200 postings addressing the actions of the governing board.
This paragraph, while addressing widely known facts about financial matters within the NSS, has been removed under threat of litigation.
This is my personal opinion, and as such is protected speech: The societal and financial losses to the NSS because of the NSS Board’s decisions over the past months, from rescinding their support for a museum, firing the Executive Director, and replacing her with the NSS Treasurer as interim, are incalculable. Membership support for these decisions is missing, and losses to the NSS Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
I welcome your reaching out to me directly if you have any further questions.
My email is: [email protected]
Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation. These are my personal observations based on my direct interaction with the board as well as other NSS members. I have serious concerns about the immediate future of the NSS based on what, in my opinion ... Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
Some of you are aware that a team that I put together was in the process of developing the auditorium space at the NSS Headquarters in Huntsville into a world-class museum. Its main focus was to be caving; the science of speleology and other sciences that are closely associated to caving. The museum would have been called the NSS Cave and Natural History Museum and a non-profit organization had been formed called the NSS Cave Museum Foundation.
I and our team have been producing large, science-based public events in Huntsville for the last six years, engaging with tens of thousands of community members each year. I have personally been in the field of museum exhibit design for 30 years and have been a part of founding two museums. I used some significant political capital to secure community support for what everyone we spoke with saw as a great opportunity to bring something wonderful to our community and to benefit NSS members.
The museum project for the NSS came about because on March 14, 2026, at a meeting of the NSS Board of Governors at the Huntsville Headquarters, our team gave a one hour presentation that included a questions and answer period where we engaged with pretty much every board member present, along with some that attended virtually. You can see the presentation slides here, but there was a significant amount of explanatory discussion as well.
I flew in Dr. Scott Persons, a renowned museum director and whose museum in Wyoming was donating on a long-term loan one of the largest Triceratops skeletons ever found – a real fossil – with a value of between $5 million and $8 million. He is a Director at the South Carolina State Museum and addressed the reasons why having a real dinosaur skeleton would not only bring tens of thousands of visitors each year to the museum, but would also help establish the museum not just as a nexus for cave research and preservation, but also for associated disciplines such as archaeology, paleontology, geology and biology. Dr. Sabiha Runa gave a presentation about how she would create our community outreach and donor and sponsor programs, and addressed her long and successful experience as a grant writer. These are roles she would head up for the museum. Present to answer questions, but not formally presenting were Dr. Richard Hoover, the former Director for NASA’s Astrobiology Research Program. He would have been instrumental in developing much of the scientific content for our ice cave exhibit, donating his collection of extremophiles that he had collected over decades of ice cave exploration and research. Lowell Zoller was also present to talk about his donation of an incredibly comprehensive collection of rocks and minerals. Mr. Zoller was a NASA nuclear physicist and also the head of NASA’s collaborative program with the European Space Agency. These were just some of those present who would make the Cave and Natural History Museum a world-class institution. A number of prominent business executives who have supported our educational initiatives since 2019 in Huntsville also attended the March 14th meeting.
The NSS Board motion that was unanimously approved on March 14 was “Johnson moves to authorize a $190,000 promissory note from the Beech(sic) Fund to fund museum costs upon signing of a lease agreement with the as yet unnamed "NSS Cave and Natural History Museum.” During the meeting, the NSS Treasurer stated that these monies would be made available Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
I can’t overemphasize the enthusiasm that most of the Board and Executive Committee showed for the project. Just a few days after that March 14th meeting, the NSS Treasurer went with me to Regions Bank and became a signer on the new NSS Cave Museum Foundation bank account because she had agreed to serve as the Museum Foundation’s board and as treasurer, pending approval of the NSS Board. I had, upon the NSS Board's approval, renamed an existing but unused museum 501c3 by filing the appropriate paperwork with the State of Alabama.
Based on the board’s and executive leadership’s enthusiasm and support, our team moved forward with all haste to ensure that we would have a successful project. As someone who has worked with non-profits for several decades, I am aware that when a governing board passes a motion or resolution by a valid majority, that decision binds the non-profit as an organization. I and our team moved forward based on that understanding of how non-profit boards and organizations work. You can find information on the specific team members on this web page. Our team and I spent many hundreds of hours on the hundreds of details that go into establishing a museum of the significance that the Cave and Natural History Museum would become. One of the actions we took was to take some of our core team members on a professional development program to a newly opened museum in New Jersey. Because of my relationship with the Executive Director and founder of that museum, we got to spend an entire day workshopping with their executive staff. This was very productive and an incredible learning opportunity for the team. The only reason the NSS Treasurer, who had planned on being on the Museum Foundation Board, didn’t go was that she had a previously planned training program, but she expressed to me her sincere disappointment that she was missing out. I also invited an NSS Board member who had previously expressed her intent to be a part of the initial museum Board. Likewise, she said she was sorry she couldn’t make it due to work commitments but continued to express her enthusiasm for the project.
A few of the things we moved forward on after the March meeting through June:
- Bringing an architect to the space for preliminary design discussions;
- Contracting with a graphic designer;
- Assessing museum design firms based on their appropriateness for the content of our museum and the budget we were developing;
- Reaching out to the City of Huntsville and other potential supporters, including NASA. A city of Huntsville Division Director and the head of a NASA program made a site visit and pledged their support to help secure funding for the museum. Just prior to the NSS Board voting to kill the project on June 29, I had a meeting scheduled with the City Councilwoman for the district;
- And MUCH more.
At the special NSS Board meeting on June 29th, they rescinded the March 14 vote in support of the museum. Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
Our more than 100 combined years of museum experience, along with the support of dozens of museum professionals and other museums, would have allowed us to create one of the most unique museum spaces and experiences in North America. A truly immersive and interactive space that would also have served to meet every element of the NSS mission and dramatically grow its membership and provide awareness of the NSS conservation efforts. This museum would have become an incredible benefit for all NSS members. From the very beginning, the now former Executive Director made clear that this would be a free benefit for NSS members and their immediate family members. There would be six main attractions in the museum space:
1. A state-of-the-art Cave Simulator with over 350 feet of tunnels and chambers. These would be designed for both training purposes and to educate the public about caves, cave conservation and caving safety. In fact, a cave rescue training section would be integrated into the simulator for use by first responders;
2. A small paleontology hall that would house a real Triceratops skeleton along with exhibitory showcasing the long historical association of caves and paleontological discoveries and research;
3. A simulated Ice Cave, designed in collaboration with NASA researchers, including the former director of NASA’s Astrobiology division. This museum element would have showcased the unique extremophiles that live in ice caves as well as the unique structures found in these remarkable places;
4. A very special lava tube exhibit that would focus not just on terrestrial lava tubes, but on those discovered on the moon and other planets. This would have been a unique interactive experience of maneuvering a virtual robotic explorer in lava tubes on the moon and Mars;
5. A history of the NSS shown through a dynamic and interactive series of displays featuring over 100 years of the history of caving as shown through the NSS artifacts located at the headquarters and offered as additional donations;
6. An extensive, comprehensive and valuable geology collection that was being donated by a retired NASA scientist who had spent over 60 years assembling this remarkable collection. He was also donating the funding for the display elements to showcase his collection.
Now, on July 13, we learn from an NSS Board posting that the Executive Director is no longer in her position. There were, until I was denied access to the NSS Community facebook page, over 200 postings addressing the actions of the governing board.
This paragraph, while addressing widely known facts about financial matters within the NSS, has been removed under threat of litigation.
This is my personal opinion, and as such is protected speech: The societal and financial losses to the NSS because of the NSS Board’s decisions over the past months, from rescinding their support for a museum, firing the Executive Director, and replacing her with the NSS Treasurer as interim, are incalculable. Membership support for these decisions is missing, and losses to the NSS Some of this content has been removed and changed under threat of litigation.
I welcome your reaching out to me directly if you have any further questions.
My email is: [email protected]
Our Team
Joe Iacuzzo
Joe Iacuzzo began his career in the field of Informal Science Education – the field that includes museums – in 1995 with the development of the DinoFest exhibition at Arizona State University. At the time, it was the largest traveling exhibition ever created. In 1996, working with some of the most important paleontologists in the world, he published and edited a children’s science magazine about prehistory that was distributed in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. The following year he created his first museum exhibition and was subsequently hired by Universal Pictures to head up the Jurassic Park Institute, a pet project of Steven Spielberg, to provide the public with accurate information about dinosaurs and prehistory. It was incredibly popular and, through its free teaching tools, was used in over 35,000 classrooms and had 22 million on-line users. While at Universal, Joe co-wrote and developed the Jurassic Park traveling museum exhibition for Asian markets and its run in Japan, Korea and China brought in millions of visitors. He also co-produced a Discovery Channel dinosaur documentary, co-developed two more traveling museum exhibitions and helped establish two museums in Utah and Montana. While doing this, Joe worked with the MIT Museum’s Science Festival Alliance to create three Science Festivals in Las Vegas, Hawaii and most recently, the very successful Alabama Science Festival, the largest STEM event in the state.
Scott Ross
Scott Ross is a leading technology and cybersecurity expert in Alabama. Growing up in Huntsville, he developed early computer skills and began working in the field as a teen. After earning a Bachelor of Information Systems Management from Auburn University, he returned to Huntsville in 2010. His career started in the defense industry with the Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) and Army Material Command (AMC), where he quickly became a key advisor. In 2012, Scott transitioned to Parsons Corporation, leading IT Operations and Cybersecurity teams across various sectors. By 2019, he became the Director of IT at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, addressing cybersecurity challenges in genomics. He received the 2021 InspireCIO Orbie award for Alabama CIO of the Year for Nonprofit/Public Sector Finalists. Scott holds a CISSP certification and is a principal investigator on genomic data cybersecurity research with UAH CCRE and NIST NCCOE. Additionally, he actively promotes STEM education and serves on the Alabama CIO Advisory Board and the Alabama STEM Foundation's Board of Directors.
Ben Hoksbergen
Ben Hoksbergen is a professional archaeologist with nearly 30 years’ experience working in the eastern United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally. He is currently the Natural and Cultural Resource Manager for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center after working for 18 years as the Installation Archaeologist for Redstone Arsenal. He is a part-time Lecturer with the History Department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and is an officer and consultant for several non-profit and local governmental organizations. His specialties include geoarchaeology, lithic technologies, Tennessee Valley cultural history, battlefield archaeology, and the archaeology of karst landscapes. He is a member of NSS and a life-long caver and has authored articles and otherwise contributed to several projects related to archaeology in caves and karst environments.
Dr. Sabiha Runa
Sabiha Runa currently serves as a grant writer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville where she develops competitive funding proposals that support research, education, and community initiatives. She has over 10 years of scientific and medical experience including working in the research fields of nanoparticle-based therapeutics and toxicological effects of metal oxide nanoparticles. As a medical writer, she has contributed to the dissemination of real-world evidence of therapeutics for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and ostomies. She holds a BS in Chemistry and BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a PhD in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a grant strategist for the museum, she will work to strengthen partnerships across the greater Huntsville community, helping connect the museum with academic, industry, and civic organizations to expand its impact and outreach.
Dr. W. Scott Persons
Dr. W. Scott Persons is the new Curator of Natural History at the South Carolina State Museum, where he leads research and collection initiatives in natural history, with a focus on paleontology. He brings a deep commitment to sharing scientific stories with the public through exhibitions, publications, programs, and the RTE project. Scott holds a PhD and a master’s degree in Evolution and Systematics from the University of Alberta, along with a bachelor’s degree in Geology/Biology from Macalester College. Prior to joining the museum, he served as Curator and Assistant Professor at the College of Charleston’s Mace Brown Museum of Natural History for six years and held multiple roles in exhibition curation. His blend of academic excellence, research leadership, and passion for public engagement will enrich the museum’s mission and educational outreach.
Bonni “Bae” McKinney
Bonni McKinney recieved her undergraduate degree in Physics from Clemson University and is working to earn her Master's in Engineering Management from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. While working for the Air Force in rural Tennessee, she served on the board of the Hands-On Science Center. During that time she served as Chair, leading the Board and Staff through the turbulent COVID-19 times. Bae moved to Huntsville in 2021 and now works as a Systems Engineer. She has worked and volunteered with the Women In Defense STEM Committee, AIAA, and the Rocket City Quiz Bowl. In her free time, Bae enjoys reading and board games.
Angela O’Neil
Angela O’Neil is the STEM Director for Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama. She has dedicated her career of over 25 years to enabling and equipping the next generation of STEM professionals. Angela holds a BS in Biological Sciences and an MS in Educational Psychology, is a National Trainer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and was the National Space Club Educator of the Year in 2010. Angela believes that “talent is equally distributed in our society, but access is not” and works tirelessly with her team of 19 college STEM interns working across 20 locations throughout North Alabama to engage, inspire, and equip members in STEM. In her free time, Angela likes to swing dance with her husband, Tim, and hike with her 17-year-old daughter Claire, and their 2 rescue dogs, Meco and Keeton.
Gayla Suddarth
Gayla Suddarth works full time for JRC Integrated Systems LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business defense contractor, as their Senior Proposal Manager. She leads all proposal efforts, supports business development activities, and is the company’s QA Lead for their certified ISO 9001 program. Prior to moving to Huntsville, Gayla worked in software and systems engineering in Dallas, Denver, and Tennessee. She co-founded a woman-owned small business and served as a senior consultant for 13 years traveling all over the world as a software process and quality engineer. She has worked in DOD, FDA, and commercial industries. Ms. Suddarth’s Board and volunteer experience includes serving as President for the Women in Defense TN Valley Chapter, previously serving a term as Vice President and two terms as Director of STEM Outreach; serving on the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts North-Central Alabama for her 3rd year; a member of the Communications Committee and the Board Development Committee; serving on the Steering Team for the STEM Alliance of North Alabama (SANA), one of the 9 state-wide STEM ecosystems; serving on the Alabama Science Festival/STEAMFest Board – the largest STEM-related science festival in the state; and serving on the Planning Committee for UAH’s Tech Trek summer STEM camp for rising 8th grade girls and coordinating the Professional Women’s Night each year (“speed-dating” type event exposing camp attendees to women in various professions).
Dave Jackson
Dave Jackson and the team from CaveSim will be creating what will likely be the most amazing element of the NSS museum, a two-story permanent Cave Simulator with over 300 feet of interactive and immersive caving experiences. Dave will also apply his creative expertise to developing and building out the museum’s “cave” environments. Dave is an educator, engineer, and caver. He’s been designing circuits since 4th grade, and has Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dave has been leading CaveSim education programs since 2010 and has a passion for engineering and skilled craftsmanship. He believes strongly in sharing his enthusiasm about the natural world with people of all ages.
Alex McClellan
Alex McClellan began his career in Nuclear Operations in the US Navy from 1987-1993 before studying nuclear physics at Penn State University and worked as a Senior Reactor operator at their Breazeale Research Reactor. In 1995, he transitioned to commercial nuclear operations with Peco Energy and Exelon Nuclear. While working in nuclear power plants, Alex’s duties included Confined Space Rescue Lead, Initial License Training Chairperson and Senior station license. In 2017 he was asked to assist the Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear team with recovering multiple stations performance, serving in multiple positions related to safe operation of TVA nuclear facilities throughout the Tennessee Valley. Alex retired from Browns Ferry Nuclear in 2024 and started the Nutty Scientists of Rocket City, a STEM education organization to provide fun and interesting experience for children of all ages. The Nutty Scientists of Rocket City serves local organizations and school districts across a 5-county area in North Alabama.
Juliet Riddle
Juliet Riddle is a science education specialist at the South Carolina State Museum. Through the portable Astro Sphere program, she travels to schools across the state, reaching thousands of students of all economic backgrounds. Juliet holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Classics. Juliet is also a published paleontological researcher and veteran fossil digger. Her work includes research on the armor of large herbivorous dinosaurs and a botanical study of fossil leaves with delicately preserved insect feeding traces.
Kathryn Dodson, M.Ed,
Kathryn is a teacher, curriculum developer and school leader. Her teaching methodology has been used in a number of schools and has consistently been shown to be an effective method for students to grasp and master topics from math to science to ELA (English Language Arts.) As a school founder, Kathryn’s team created the second highest performing middle school in the state of Hawaii by using her teaching methods and applying them to a variety of subjects. She will bring this expertise to the museum’s outreach and educational programs and will create standards-aligned teaching tools for educators and parents who visit the museum or our web site.
Museum Advisory Board
Dr. Richard Hoover
Working at NASA Mashall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL beginning in 1966, Dr. Hoover has taken part in astrobiological research carried out there since 1997. In 1998, he participated in two of the astrobiology proposals funded by the newly formed NASA Virtual Astrobiology Institute. He was co-investigator with David S. McKay (PI) of the NASA Johnson Space Center on the study of biomarkers and microfossils in meteorites, astromaterials and ancient terrestrial rocks, and collaborated with Kenneth Nealson (PI) from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the investigation of microbial extremophiles from some of the Earth's most hostile environments, including ice caves, as related to the co-evolution of planets and biospheres.
Dr. Ken Lacovara
Ken Lacovara is the Founder and Executive Director of the Edelman Fossil Park Museum at Rowan University. In 2019 Dr. Lacovara received The Explorers Club's highest honor, the Explorers Club Medal, awarded for "extraordinary contributions directly in the field of exploration, scientific research, or to the welfare of humanity." He was previously the Dean of Earth Sciences at Rowan University, a featured TED talker and the discoverer of the largest dinosaur ever found, the Dreadnaughtus. Ken has led research expeditions to Egypt, Argentina and many other remote areas of the world.
Mark Sledziewski
Mark Sledziewski currently serves as Executive Director of the National Capital Radio and Television Museum (NCRTV) in Bowie, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. In this role, he leads the organization’s efforts to preserve and interpret the history of radio and television while expanding educational programming and community engagement. Prior to joining NCRTV, Mark served as Executive Director of the Historic Ramsey House in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he oversaw operations, public programming, and educational development for the historic site. Mark has dedicated his career to advancing education and promoting effective leadership within the museum industry, combining a passion for history with a commitment to making cultural institutions accessible and engaging for diverse audiences. Before transitioning into museum leadership, his career began as an elementary school teacher and a museum educator, an experience that continues to inform his approach to learning and public outreach. A Western New York native, Mark received his BA in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
Joe Iacuzzo
Joe Iacuzzo began his career in the field of Informal Science Education – the field that includes museums – in 1995 with the development of the DinoFest exhibition at Arizona State University. At the time, it was the largest traveling exhibition ever created. In 1996, working with some of the most important paleontologists in the world, he published and edited a children’s science magazine about prehistory that was distributed in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. The following year he created his first museum exhibition and was subsequently hired by Universal Pictures to head up the Jurassic Park Institute, a pet project of Steven Spielberg, to provide the public with accurate information about dinosaurs and prehistory. It was incredibly popular and, through its free teaching tools, was used in over 35,000 classrooms and had 22 million on-line users. While at Universal, Joe co-wrote and developed the Jurassic Park traveling museum exhibition for Asian markets and its run in Japan, Korea and China brought in millions of visitors. He also co-produced a Discovery Channel dinosaur documentary, co-developed two more traveling museum exhibitions and helped establish two museums in Utah and Montana. While doing this, Joe worked with the MIT Museum’s Science Festival Alliance to create three Science Festivals in Las Vegas, Hawaii and most recently, the very successful Alabama Science Festival, the largest STEM event in the state.
Scott Ross
Scott Ross is a leading technology and cybersecurity expert in Alabama. Growing up in Huntsville, he developed early computer skills and began working in the field as a teen. After earning a Bachelor of Information Systems Management from Auburn University, he returned to Huntsville in 2010. His career started in the defense industry with the Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) and Army Material Command (AMC), where he quickly became a key advisor. In 2012, Scott transitioned to Parsons Corporation, leading IT Operations and Cybersecurity teams across various sectors. By 2019, he became the Director of IT at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, addressing cybersecurity challenges in genomics. He received the 2021 InspireCIO Orbie award for Alabama CIO of the Year for Nonprofit/Public Sector Finalists. Scott holds a CISSP certification and is a principal investigator on genomic data cybersecurity research with UAH CCRE and NIST NCCOE. Additionally, he actively promotes STEM education and serves on the Alabama CIO Advisory Board and the Alabama STEM Foundation's Board of Directors.
Ben Hoksbergen
Ben Hoksbergen is a professional archaeologist with nearly 30 years’ experience working in the eastern United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally. He is currently the Natural and Cultural Resource Manager for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center after working for 18 years as the Installation Archaeologist for Redstone Arsenal. He is a part-time Lecturer with the History Department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and is an officer and consultant for several non-profit and local governmental organizations. His specialties include geoarchaeology, lithic technologies, Tennessee Valley cultural history, battlefield archaeology, and the archaeology of karst landscapes. He is a member of NSS and a life-long caver and has authored articles and otherwise contributed to several projects related to archaeology in caves and karst environments.
Dr. Sabiha Runa
Sabiha Runa currently serves as a grant writer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville where she develops competitive funding proposals that support research, education, and community initiatives. She has over 10 years of scientific and medical experience including working in the research fields of nanoparticle-based therapeutics and toxicological effects of metal oxide nanoparticles. As a medical writer, she has contributed to the dissemination of real-world evidence of therapeutics for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and ostomies. She holds a BS in Chemistry and BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a PhD in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a grant strategist for the museum, she will work to strengthen partnerships across the greater Huntsville community, helping connect the museum with academic, industry, and civic organizations to expand its impact and outreach.
Dr. W. Scott Persons
Dr. W. Scott Persons is the new Curator of Natural History at the South Carolina State Museum, where he leads research and collection initiatives in natural history, with a focus on paleontology. He brings a deep commitment to sharing scientific stories with the public through exhibitions, publications, programs, and the RTE project. Scott holds a PhD and a master’s degree in Evolution and Systematics from the University of Alberta, along with a bachelor’s degree in Geology/Biology from Macalester College. Prior to joining the museum, he served as Curator and Assistant Professor at the College of Charleston’s Mace Brown Museum of Natural History for six years and held multiple roles in exhibition curation. His blend of academic excellence, research leadership, and passion for public engagement will enrich the museum’s mission and educational outreach.
Bonni “Bae” McKinney
Bonni McKinney recieved her undergraduate degree in Physics from Clemson University and is working to earn her Master's in Engineering Management from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. While working for the Air Force in rural Tennessee, she served on the board of the Hands-On Science Center. During that time she served as Chair, leading the Board and Staff through the turbulent COVID-19 times. Bae moved to Huntsville in 2021 and now works as a Systems Engineer. She has worked and volunteered with the Women In Defense STEM Committee, AIAA, and the Rocket City Quiz Bowl. In her free time, Bae enjoys reading and board games.
Angela O’Neil
Angela O’Neil is the STEM Director for Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama. She has dedicated her career of over 25 years to enabling and equipping the next generation of STEM professionals. Angela holds a BS in Biological Sciences and an MS in Educational Psychology, is a National Trainer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and was the National Space Club Educator of the Year in 2010. Angela believes that “talent is equally distributed in our society, but access is not” and works tirelessly with her team of 19 college STEM interns working across 20 locations throughout North Alabama to engage, inspire, and equip members in STEM. In her free time, Angela likes to swing dance with her husband, Tim, and hike with her 17-year-old daughter Claire, and their 2 rescue dogs, Meco and Keeton.
Gayla Suddarth
Gayla Suddarth works full time for JRC Integrated Systems LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business defense contractor, as their Senior Proposal Manager. She leads all proposal efforts, supports business development activities, and is the company’s QA Lead for their certified ISO 9001 program. Prior to moving to Huntsville, Gayla worked in software and systems engineering in Dallas, Denver, and Tennessee. She co-founded a woman-owned small business and served as a senior consultant for 13 years traveling all over the world as a software process and quality engineer. She has worked in DOD, FDA, and commercial industries. Ms. Suddarth’s Board and volunteer experience includes serving as President for the Women in Defense TN Valley Chapter, previously serving a term as Vice President and two terms as Director of STEM Outreach; serving on the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts North-Central Alabama for her 3rd year; a member of the Communications Committee and the Board Development Committee; serving on the Steering Team for the STEM Alliance of North Alabama (SANA), one of the 9 state-wide STEM ecosystems; serving on the Alabama Science Festival/STEAMFest Board – the largest STEM-related science festival in the state; and serving on the Planning Committee for UAH’s Tech Trek summer STEM camp for rising 8th grade girls and coordinating the Professional Women’s Night each year (“speed-dating” type event exposing camp attendees to women in various professions).
Dave Jackson
Dave Jackson and the team from CaveSim will be creating what will likely be the most amazing element of the NSS museum, a two-story permanent Cave Simulator with over 300 feet of interactive and immersive caving experiences. Dave will also apply his creative expertise to developing and building out the museum’s “cave” environments. Dave is an educator, engineer, and caver. He’s been designing circuits since 4th grade, and has Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dave has been leading CaveSim education programs since 2010 and has a passion for engineering and skilled craftsmanship. He believes strongly in sharing his enthusiasm about the natural world with people of all ages.
Alex McClellan
Alex McClellan began his career in Nuclear Operations in the US Navy from 1987-1993 before studying nuclear physics at Penn State University and worked as a Senior Reactor operator at their Breazeale Research Reactor. In 1995, he transitioned to commercial nuclear operations with Peco Energy and Exelon Nuclear. While working in nuclear power plants, Alex’s duties included Confined Space Rescue Lead, Initial License Training Chairperson and Senior station license. In 2017 he was asked to assist the Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear team with recovering multiple stations performance, serving in multiple positions related to safe operation of TVA nuclear facilities throughout the Tennessee Valley. Alex retired from Browns Ferry Nuclear in 2024 and started the Nutty Scientists of Rocket City, a STEM education organization to provide fun and interesting experience for children of all ages. The Nutty Scientists of Rocket City serves local organizations and school districts across a 5-county area in North Alabama.
Juliet Riddle
Juliet Riddle is a science education specialist at the South Carolina State Museum. Through the portable Astro Sphere program, she travels to schools across the state, reaching thousands of students of all economic backgrounds. Juliet holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Classics. Juliet is also a published paleontological researcher and veteran fossil digger. Her work includes research on the armor of large herbivorous dinosaurs and a botanical study of fossil leaves with delicately preserved insect feeding traces.
Kathryn Dodson, M.Ed,
Kathryn is a teacher, curriculum developer and school leader. Her teaching methodology has been used in a number of schools and has consistently been shown to be an effective method for students to grasp and master topics from math to science to ELA (English Language Arts.) As a school founder, Kathryn’s team created the second highest performing middle school in the state of Hawaii by using her teaching methods and applying them to a variety of subjects. She will bring this expertise to the museum’s outreach and educational programs and will create standards-aligned teaching tools for educators and parents who visit the museum or our web site.
Museum Advisory Board
Dr. Richard Hoover
Working at NASA Mashall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL beginning in 1966, Dr. Hoover has taken part in astrobiological research carried out there since 1997. In 1998, he participated in two of the astrobiology proposals funded by the newly formed NASA Virtual Astrobiology Institute. He was co-investigator with David S. McKay (PI) of the NASA Johnson Space Center on the study of biomarkers and microfossils in meteorites, astromaterials and ancient terrestrial rocks, and collaborated with Kenneth Nealson (PI) from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the investigation of microbial extremophiles from some of the Earth's most hostile environments, including ice caves, as related to the co-evolution of planets and biospheres.
Dr. Ken Lacovara
Ken Lacovara is the Founder and Executive Director of the Edelman Fossil Park Museum at Rowan University. In 2019 Dr. Lacovara received The Explorers Club's highest honor, the Explorers Club Medal, awarded for "extraordinary contributions directly in the field of exploration, scientific research, or to the welfare of humanity." He was previously the Dean of Earth Sciences at Rowan University, a featured TED talker and the discoverer of the largest dinosaur ever found, the Dreadnaughtus. Ken has led research expeditions to Egypt, Argentina and many other remote areas of the world.
Mark Sledziewski
Mark Sledziewski currently serves as Executive Director of the National Capital Radio and Television Museum (NCRTV) in Bowie, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. In this role, he leads the organization’s efforts to preserve and interpret the history of radio and television while expanding educational programming and community engagement. Prior to joining NCRTV, Mark served as Executive Director of the Historic Ramsey House in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he oversaw operations, public programming, and educational development for the historic site. Mark has dedicated his career to advancing education and promoting effective leadership within the museum industry, combining a passion for history with a commitment to making cultural institutions accessible and engaging for diverse audiences. Before transitioning into museum leadership, his career began as an elementary school teacher and a museum educator, an experience that continues to inform his approach to learning and public outreach. A Western New York native, Mark received his BA in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
