The search is on for a successor to Emily Landis, the executive director who led the transformation of the Lancaster Science Factory and who stepped down in September.
Landis had led the science center since 2013, when the venue was five years old.
“The time is right for a new leader dedicated to our Mission to take the Science Factory to new heights,” Landis wrote in her farewell letter.
Rob Reed, interim executive director at the Lancaster Science Factory, speaks with a reporter about the new outdoor area for kids to experience on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.
Development Director Rob Reed is serving as interim executive director while the organization searches for Landis’ permanent successor. Reed has been with the center for seven and a half years.
Landis said she is taking a year-long sabbatical for personal and professional pursuits.
The board estimates the search will take up to five months.
Landis led a capital campaign, Elevate Curiosity, that raised $4.4 million, which supported a series of expansion projects. Ultimately, the center’s size doubled from less than 10,000 square feet to its current 17,000 square feet. Major accomplishments included expanding the facility to add the Russo Family Maker Space, the Culliton Curiosity Wing, the Mueller Family Outdoor Courtyard, and the High Foundation Sky Bridge designed and fabricated by Luckey Climbers.The campaign also established the center’s first endowment.
