Heidi Mestad taking over as head of Rochester children's museum
Heidi Mestad, one of the key faces of DMC, is leaving her job at Mayo Clinic to become the next director of the Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester.
Mestad will begin her new position Dec. 9. She takes over for Dawn Devine, the museum's director since its opening in 2012, who left the organization in August.
“This is such an exciting opportunity to continue and grow Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester," Mestad said in a news release. “The museum is a tremendous community asset – a place where all generations can connect through play and innovation."
A Rochester native, Mestad returned to the area in 2012 after spending time in Washington, D.C. where she worked at the National Museum of Natural History and the Meridian International Cultural Center.
She has recently held positions at the Rochester Downtown Alliance and Mayo Clinic, where she was "instrumental in laying the foundation for the legislative approval and the development of the DMC strategic plan," says the release.
The children's museum announced in May that it plans to pursue the downtown "castle" now occupied by the senior center. The organization currently operates out of a 5,000-square-foot space in the River Center Plaza.
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(Cover graphic: Minnesota Children's Museum)
