The Virginia Museum of Natural History board met for a quarterly session that included committee reports, a recess to tour the Douglas Avenue collections facility and a broad discussion of strategic planning and space needs.

Board leadership opened the meeting by noting there was not a quorum and that minutes would not be approved today. Members agreed to recess the meeting briefly to tour the Douglas Avenue facility and assess progress on maintenance work and storage planning.

Joe (foundation/operations) told the group the museum submitted its American Alliance of Museums reaccreditation package on Nov. 1 and that AAM staff would review documents, offer recommendations and likely schedule a multi-day site visit in March or April. “AAM wants that. Site team wants that,” Joe said, describing the process as routine and constructive.

Advancement staff reported a milestone for the foundation’s endowment, saying the fund “has now gone over the million dollar threshold.” Staff explained the foundation manages four accounts — one general and three restricted funds, including the Pete Hennigan Memorial Fund — and noted the restricted accounts will continue to grow and be used for targeted research and student training.

Facilities and capital-work updates described steady construction at the Gina Adams Education Building, with concrete curing, electrical and railing work underway before exhibit installation. Joe said once the structure is cleared the museum will begin installing new exhibits on park and forest ecology.

Board members spent significant time on strategic planning and collections space. Art raised a concern that the synopsis under-emphasized long-term expansion, saying Douglas Avenue “is our answer to expanded collection space, and that’s not what we were talking about at all,” and urged the plan to reflect feasibility studies and options for adding museum footprint in the coming years. Other members agreed the Douglas Avenue rehabilitation addresses near-term needs while a broader study should set multi-year goals and measures.

The meeting also included curatorial updates: Dr. Cal Ivanov was promoted to full curator, Jackson Means joined permanent collections staff as a myriapodologist working with the museum’s millipede collection, and curators reported fieldwork and new research projects — including a Madagascar specimen trip and a forthcoming manuscript on a 55-million-year-old fossil snake.

Before recessing, staff highlighted pending capital requests tied to the Sterling Avenue Young Explorer Center and mobile outreach: a federal request for $640,000 and a state request for $2,000,000 for the Young Explorer Center, plus $100,000 set aside from maintenance reserves for upgrades to the Waynesboro mobile science trailer.

With no further business, a member moved to adjourn; the motion was seconded and the meeting was adjourned.