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Virginia Living Museum thanks council for budget support, highlights education and accessibility programs
Summary
Sarah Messersmith, president of the Virginia Living Museum board, thanked the council for including the museum in the annual budget and described the museum's accreditation, volunteer base, education programs, reduced-admission initiatives and recent campus expansion.
Sarah Messersmith, president of the board of trustees at the Virginia Living Museum, thanked City Council for including the museum in the annual budget and described the institution's role in science education and community engagement.
Messersmith said the museum is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Alliance of Museums, a distinction shared by about 14 institutions nationally, and that volunteers outnumber staff by approximately 7 to 1. She said the museum offers free and reduced admission days to all Newport News residents and participates in the Museums for All initiative, which provides access to SNAP recipients.
The museum, Messersmith said, recently opened a café with partner Satay and chef Kyle Hulks and expanded its campus with a wild-care center that includes a transparent veterinary hospital and nutrition center for educational experiences. She argued that the museum supports the region's quality of life, school science education and workforce development by training volunteers.
Messersmith's remarks were delivered during the public comment period; no city action on museum funding was recorded during the hearing.
