The mission of the Virginia Museum of Natural History is to interpret Virginia's natural heritage within a global context in ways that are relevant to all citizens of the Commonwealth.

The vision of the Virginia Museum of Natural History's Scientific Research and Collections division is to ensure that the collections held in trust for the Commonwealth of Virginia are handled in a professional manner, are preserved for future research, are provided state-of-the-art care and management, and are accessible in appropriate ways to a variety of constituents. This division also ensures that scientific expertise guides appropriate development of the collections, uses those collections to investigate the natural history of Virginia in a global context, and communicates the findings of those investigations to popular and technical audiences via publications, programs, exhibits, and the VMNH website. Collections care involves developing and implementing policies and procedures to protect the long-term integrity of specimens and artifacts as well as their associated data and documentation. The Museum is committed to providing a professional research and collections staff trained in the method and theory of preparing specimens, managing collections and their data, and conducting and reporting specimen-based research to ensure that this vision is met.

The vision for the Administration and Services Division is to ensure excellence in financial services, procurement, payroll and human resource services, and operations of the facility. The division endeavors to keep abreast of and adhere to all state rules and regulations. With a well-trained staff and effective communication, the division delivers the highest quality services to the Museum staff. The agency's vision for technology is to ensure that the overall quality of service provided to the community is not compromised because of inadequate technology. The Museum's charter mandate will be supported by up-to-date infrastructures and staff who are well-trained in technology and information systems. The agency pursues, where appropriate and sustainable, technology tools that increase its capacity to educate the public, get vital information to those who need it most, measure and evaluate its work, enable staff to do their work efficiently, and effectively communicate with the Commonwealth.

The vision of the agency's division of Education and Public Programs is to further the interpretation of Virginia’s natural heritage in ways that are relevant to all citizens of the Commonwealth. To achieve this vision, the division will ensure an inclusive educational program for all people in a welcoming, supportive, and visitor-oriented environment; will collaborate with and lend departmental expertise to other functional areas of the Museum, community organizations, and other state agencies; will serve as a professional center for life-long learning programs; and will pursue the appropriate use of technology to expand interactive learning opportunities for the citizens of Virginia and beyond.

The vision of the agency's Advancement division is to have a broad and deepening awareness of all of the Museum's programs and services and how to increase awareness of these offerings to the Museum's constituencies. Increased awareness will result in increased Museum attendance, participation in special events and programs, increased membership and increased financial support to leverage State funds.

Professionalism- The Museum staff will conduct themselves in a professional manner and apply their knowledge, skills, and abilities to offer services, exhibits, research, and programs of the highest quality.

Responsiveness- The Museum staff will respond to customer needs quickly, thoroughly, and courteously while always seeking to improve service.

Performance- The Museum will strive to improve performance in achieving our mission.

A MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS- The museum works to engage all citizens of the Commonwealth through science and science literacy programs in all geographic areas.

The Virginia Museum of Natural History, located in Martinsville, hereinafter referred to as the "Museum," was created in 1985 and became a state agency in 1988.  The Museum, located in Southside Virginia, is responsible for preserving and protecting Virginia's natural history.

With no institution serving as a centralized repository for the Commonwealth's natural history collections, the Museum was built to fill a gap in service to our culture and natural heritage. To date, the Museum remains the state's only collections-based science institution, and excels in collections-based research, inquiry based science education, science teacher professional development, and exhibit experiences rich with the actual specimens and artifacts documenting the natural and cultural heritage of Virginia.

To date, the museum has provided significant Standards of Learning (SOL) based experiences for children across the Commonwealth, and has provided professional development and educational training for numerous teachers. The Museum's scientists have assembled more than 10 million inventoried specimens and artifacts and contribute regularly to the published literature of biology, geology, paleontology, and archaeology. Multiple offsite exhibits are established throughout Virginia to reach audiences distant from Martinsville.  Distance Learning Technology is employed to reach audiences across the Commonwealth.

As the Museum's extensive collections continue to grow and further benefit our education, exhibit, and research efforts, the Museum offers exciting opportunities for all Virginia citizens to be engaged in furthering their science literacy. This unique benefit generates tourism, with half of our onsite visitation coming from outside our area code, and nearly 200,000 people visiting our 18 offsite exhibits. Our modern facility in Martinsville, built in 2007, continues to protect and house the State's collections effectively. Highlights of collections growth include new specimens (including fossil species new to Virginia) from Carmel Church located in Caroline County, mammals from throughout the State, marine specimens from coastal habitats, and archaeological specimens from statewide locations will be the focus of current collections growth.

Research supports a Virginia science SOL-based curriculum of programs for school groups and homeschoolers. These programs are delivered by experts in early childhood education. In addition, surveys show that teachers who go through museum teacher professional development programs come out of these week-long immersive programs with a greater understanding of science instruction methods, and are more comfortable handling STEM-based topics.  Due to the Museum’s draw (approximately one half of all visitors are from areas outside of Martinsville/Henry County), it is an important focal point for area tourism efforts. Visitors spend time at the Museum then shop and/or eat in local establishments. Museum staff purchase much of their supplies and equipment, or contract specialized workers, from local Small, Women, and Minority (SWAM) businesses, thus providing hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing through the local economy. The Museum is one of the larger employers in the area, thus supplying steady jobs.

The agency installed a state-of-the-art videoconferencing studio, called The Distance Learning Studio, at the Museum in FY2014. The Distance Learning Studio serves as a distance-learning laboratory connected to the local and Virginia IT network where science education, at-a-distance, can be delivered, studied, and improved.

The Distance Learning Studio promotes opportunities for citizens to expand their science literacy regardless of where they live. It serves as a hub to connect scientists to students and the public, and gives people the opportunity to observe science in action at remote field sites.

All paleontological and geological collections are now available on the collections database eGEMS, and the collections databases are available online publically.

The Museum's workforce will continue to face technological changes and frequent changes in systems and processes.  One strategy the Museum will use to ensure a knowledgeable workforce is to provide professional development training to all of its employees, as budget allows.  Continuous training will ensure that employees are able to adapt to operational changes and provide quality services.  The Museum will also face challenges because of aging and retiring employees.   Leadership training and cross-training programs will prepare future leaders and employees to succeed retiring employees.

The Museum is housed in a state-owned state-of-the-arts facility completed in 2007.  It is located on a main highway in the cultural district of Martinsville and is very accessible to the public.  Besides the day-to-day management of this building, the Museum operates one other building used as storage space.  The Museum has several maintenance reserve projects planned, but no major physical plant projects planned.

Several factors will have a significant impact on the agency over the next four years.

Research and Collections- Curators are the caretakers of the State's only centralized repository of collections representing extensive natural and cultural heritage.  The ability to hire qualified replacements for aging staff could be a risk to the Museum.

Economy- A high area unemployment rate and declining population continues to hamper growth of programming.

The Museum's budget is comprised of general fund (87%) and nongeneral fund (special funds and federal funds) appropriation (13%). Special funds are generated from miscellaneous sources such as admissions to the Museum, festivals and events, field trips, sale of Museum publications, memberships, education programs, gift shop sales, and grants from private foundations. The Museum also receives funds from the city and county and the Museum's Foundation. Federal funds are received from National Science Foundation (NSF) grants, and pass-through grants from other state agencies.

The Museum collects revenues from miscellaneous sources such as admissions and events, sale of Museum publications, memberships, education programs, room rentals, gift shop sales, City and County, and federal grants.  These revenues are used for agency operations, exhibit fabrication, educators' payroll, education programs, and to meet customer demand for services.

The Museum hosted one exhibit and 38,000 visitors in-house and nearly 200,000 visitors at over a dozen off-site locations and traveling exhibits in FY2018.  The Museum held 56 special events in FY2018 and educators reached nearly 19,000 people through educational programs.

Museum scientists and collections staff have provided the following: published ten peer-reviewed papers; conducted 265 programs, lectures and tours for over 15,000 individuals; responded to 52 requests for technical information and reviewed 170 technical documents; received more than 18,000 visits to the Museum's Research and Collections and Paleontology blogs; provided content and assisted in planning, design, and fabrication of two major exhibits; initiated new loans of  about 808 individual specimens, 27 vials of specimens, 19 bags of specimens, and 20 jars of specimens to 24 other institutions and agencies; added 20,106 new records to the specimen catalogs and modified/updated 21,177 specimen records.

In reference to 14508 (Scientific Research), this customer base is currently being served by a reduced collections and curatorial staff.  Additional staff would allow us to reach more groups of customers.  Some programs are on-going and some programs are opportunistic.

The Museum serves as the State's natural history museum and its duties include the following:  1) investigating, preserving and exhibiting the various elements of natural history found in Virginia and other parts of the United States and the world; 2) fostering an understanding and appreciation of how man and the earth have evolved; 3) encouraging and promoting research in the varied natural heritage of Virginia and other parts of the world; 4) encouraging individuals and scholars to study our natural history and to apply this understanding of the past to the challenge of the future; 5) establishing a state museum of natural history in Virginia where specimens of natural history, especially those of Virginia origin, can be properly housed, cared for, cataloged and studied, and to ensure a permanent repository of our natural heritage; and 6) coordinating an efficient network in Virginia where researchers and the public can readily use the natural history material of the Museum, its affiliates, Virginia's institutions of higher education and other museums.  These six points were declared areas of legislative determination in the Code of Virginia.

There are three primary areas of museum work: Research and Collections, Education, and Exhibits.

RESEARCH AND COLLECTIONS: Museum curators and their support staff make significant contributions to the understanding of biology, geology, paleontology, and archaeology. All curators are Ph.D.-level researchers. During the course of their work, they grow the Museum's collections that act as a library of the natural heritage of Virginia. They support the work of researchers world-wide who benefit from the accumulation and centralization of these collections.  The Museum holds specimens found nowhere else on earth, including hundreds of holotype specimens. Fossils from areas just north of Richmond and near Danville, unavailable to researchers anywhere else, have recently been unearthed and are now available for study.

EDUCATION: The Department of Education is a source of SOL-based information for school groups, home school students, scouting organizations, and other groups. The Department provides significant professional development programs for teachers and offer graduate credit. Many teachers enter the workforce with little or no science background, but after engaging in the Museum's programs they come away with new materials, curriculum, and confidence.  The Museum is in many instances the science curriculum for southern Virginia homeschoolers.

EXHIBITS: The professional exhibits developed by museum staff take our science and put it into a publically digestible form for all citizens. Exhibits link our science to the public.  They provide an outlet for information that underscores childhood learning, and serves to make a more scientifically literate public. Science literacy is key to fields related to STEM topics (science, technology, engineering, and math), including STEM-based career paths. The Museum has its in-house exhibits for visitors, but also uses a variety of facilities across the Commonwealth to reach hundreds of thousands of citizens each year.

As a resource for all citizens of the Commonwealth, VMNH considers itself A MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS. Staff works diligently to engage all areas of Virginia.

The museum saw a 15% increase in attendance on-site over the past 2 years, and visitors came from 12 states other than Virginia. Museum travelers stay longer at destinations and spend more than other travelers. In Virginia, two-thirds of interstate travelers visiting museums spend over $500 at their destinations (Sources: Virginia Association of Museums, Virginia Tourism Corporation).

One of the best measures of the Museum's performance is the number of customers reached by various programs.  In FY2018, the Museum reached over 38,101 visitors in-house and nearly 160,132 visitors at off-site partnering organizations, state parks, schools, and visitor centers throughout the State.  Educators reached over  people through 403 educational programs, all of which were correlated to standards of learning, served 18 school divisions, with 295 programs at the Museum, 20 distance learning programs, and 421 programs through outreach.

Museum scientists added nearly 7,153 new specimens to the collections. Scientists participated in generating one new exhibit, continued strong collaborations state-wide, and have made the collections database accessible online. Each curator now has active blogs.

The Museum delivers valuable services to the Commonwealth via original collections-based research on our natural heritage, dynamic exhibits, in-house and at offsite areas that focus on enhancing the public's science literacy and children’s comprehension of Virginia SOLs, and providing educational opportunities that benefit families, students, and teachers. The Museum is increasing multiple visits per person by maintaining up-to-date and interesting programming. Staff also continually improves operating revenue. Ultimately, the museum preserves and maintains the Commonwealth's natural history--the library of our natural heritage--for future generations.

1. Be the premier resource in understanding and interpreting Virginia’s natural heritage within a global context in ways such as programs, exhibits and publications that are relevant to all the citizens of the Commonwealth. 2. Develop meaningful education programs that are aligned with state and national education standards and reform initiatives. 3. Develop well-designed and maintained exhibits which are emotionally charged, immersive, well-paced, dramatic, social, and grounded in content. 4. Integrate updated technology and visitor experiences into existing exhibits through LED lighting upgrades and long-term exhibit upgrades. 5. Develop and support external exhibits in conjunction with Museum affiliates and promote Museum programs that are informative and memorable. 6. Retain existing volunteers and recruit new volunteers. 7. Raise awareness of current and upcoming exhibits and programs resulting in increased attendance. 8. Continue to enhance the web site and social media outreach to include functionality enhancements including database development, e-Commerce integration, and content management systems.

Staff design, produce, deliver, evaluate, analyze, and modify educational programs using electronic and distance learning technologies throughout the state.

• Various museum staff will meet regularly to plan, produce, deliver, evaluate, analyze, and modify distance learning programs.

• Design, implement, and modify evaluation tools to assess level of quality and customer satisfaction.

• Plan, design and produce a distance learning program guide for educators.

Education staff design, produce, deliver, evaluate, analyze, and modify educational programs to ensure a high level of quality and customer satisfaction in correlation to state and national education standards.

• Analyze all existing, modified, and new programs for the associated academic content. Keep abreast of existing and new national, Virginia, and North Carolina learning standards.

• Provide professional development opportunities for museum staff and volunteers in program design, delivery, evaluation, and improvement. Share results with staff as a means of providing feedback and make program adjustments as needed.

Promote the museum and its programs, exhibits, and events, as a visitor destination to a wide range of potential visitors across the Commonwealth and the region.  Ensure that visitors have a positive experience at the museum and at off-site exhibits to increase repeat visitation.

• Develop new and strengthen existing institutional relationships across the region in order to create new opportunities to reach potential visitors. Potential relationships include convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, other museums and cultural institutions, other state agencies, new and existing VMNH Affiliates, and other educational institutions.

• Implement museum marketing and public relations efforts including press releases, Web site and social media, advertising, signage and promotions to a wide geographic region. Continue to promote the museum's exciting outreach programs and exhibits, special exhibits, opportunities for lifelong learning, groundbreaking scientific research, and innovative educational programs that continue to reach broader audiences across Virginia.

• Support the efforts of other departments in order to effectively disseminate information to the public about the important mission and programs of the museum. Particular departments to be supported and promoted include Education and Public Programs and Research and Collections.

Members are informal marketers for the museum through their social networks, and their level of engagement ensures that the museum and its programs are used to the benefit of natural history and learning.

• Evaluate Advancement staff to enable the Department to effectively meet and exceed its goals.

• Increase and refine membership benefits.

• Reflect the specific needs of businesses through corporate partnership benefits and pricing.

Operate the Vertebrate Paleontology and Archaeology laboratories so that the visitors can see and understand cutting-edge scientific research in action. Specimens will be prepared and examined by trained staff and volunteers in the laboratories on public view. Develop a vehicle that will aid K-12 students in understanding the scientific method and provide visitors with an interactive experience of fundamental research procedures. This is particularly important in the surrounding underserved rural community.

• Continue the operation of the two laboratories that can be viewed by the general public and increase the number of staff, volunteers and students that work in the laboratories.

Provide natural history related products in the Museum Store and PALEO Cafe to help develop a more interesting visitor experience.

• Evaluate and modify merchandise in both the Museum Store and PALEO Cafe to best meet the demands and interests of customers and the mission of the Museum.

• Promote merchandise in the Museum Store and PALEO Cafe to onsite and online visitors.

Museum staff will maintain and seek new strategic partnerships with individuals, agencies, and formal and informal educational organizations that seek to serve more areas of the state through outreach education programs and services.

• Identify, cultivate, and develop new relationships with individuals, agencies, and formal and informal educational organizations that may be able to further the objective.

• Maintain and strengthen existing outreach programs and locations.

Permanent exhibits, special exhibits and displays, rented or internally produced, are well-designed and have a high level of quality and customer satisfaction.

• Collaborate with scientific and education staff, along with relevant outside individuals and organizations.

• Upgrade existing exhibits to include new technology and visitor experiences by 2020 as part of the "Museum Without Walls 2015-2020" vision plan.

• Replace existing exhibit lighting with energy-efficient LED lighting by 2020.

To design, produce, evaluate, analyze, and modify publications to ensure a high level of quality, accuracy, and customer satisfaction.

• Work with scientists and educators to determine upcoming publications that highlight the museum's current and upcoming education and research programs.

1. Build collections through appropriate research. 2. Operate scientific labs that are visitor friendly and provide public education by encouraging interaction with Museum visitors. 3. Develop a web-accessible collections and scientific library database that enables scientists and educators to find information and perform research. 4. Provide collections management, preservation, care, and accessibility to protect the long-term integrity of specimens and artifacts, as well as their associated data documentation.

The Museum is the state repository for natural history collections, including voucher specimens. The Commonwealth boasts an incredible diversity of plant and animal life that is surpassed by few other states in the nation. It also has a wealth of world-class archaeological and paleontological sites, and specimens from many of these localities are housed at the Museum. With these rich resources it is incumbent upon the Museum to develop world-class research programs that form the basis for innovative and exceptional educational programs. To realize the full potential of the Commonwealth's rich natural heritage requires expertise in numerous specialized areas. This will be facilitated by developing and enhancing formal collaborative programs with scientists at other state agencies, universities, and scientific institutions around the nation and the world. Dissemination of the results of the research programs to the scientific community is critical. In order to facilitate this process, the Museum has its own peer-reviewed publications series including "Jeffersoniana," "Virginia Museum of Natural History Memoirs," and "Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publications". Production of these series enables the Museum to reach not only the state and national scientific communities, but also the international one. Contributions to these publications are open to the entire scientific community, not just Museum researchers and affiliates. Museum scientific staff also disseminates results of their research through technical presentations at conferences and by publishing in other peer-reviewed scientific literature.

• Produce peer-reviewed scientific publication series such as Jeffersoniana, Virginia Museum of Natural History Memoirs, and Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publications.

• Publish the results of research findings in peer-reviewed scientific publications on a regular basis.

• Seek continued scientific collaboration with colleagues at institutions in the Commonwealth as well as nationally and internationally.

Determining the impacts of human activities and natural processes on our state and world relies on up-to-date knowledge of natural history. Natural history collections form the most comprehensive base reference for inventories of fauna and flora in Virginia, and must be kept up to date. Collections form the reference "library" and the database for research into all aspects of natural history, and therefore must be continually updated to reflect advances in our knowledge. Building collections through research also includes curatorial field work programs in the Commonwealth.  Collections from areas outside the Commonwealth provide comparative material, which is necessary for proper investigation and accurate interpretation.  Museum collections will be developed based on areas of greatest need.

• Accept collections from private sources that increase the diversity of the collections.

• Conduct field work in Virginia and elsewhere and incorporate new material into the collections.

• Receive and catalogue specimens received from other institutions with the goal of an extensive inventory of the Commonwealth's fauna and flora.

The Museum is developing a web-accessible database for collections and library holdings to permit all citizens of the Commonwealth some access to the collections that are not on exhibit.

• Add specimens to the database as they are accessioned into the Museum's collections.

• Make part of the database accessible to the public via the Museum's website.

Operate the Vertebrate Paleontology and Archaeology laboratories so that the visitors can see and understand cutting-edge scientific research in action. Specimens will be prepared and examined by trained staff and volunteers in the laboratories on public view. Develop a vehicle that will aid K-12 students in understanding the scientific method and provide visitors with an interactive experience of fundamental research procedures. This is particularly important in the surrounding underserved rural community.

• Continue the operation of the two laboratories that can be viewed by the general public and increase the number of staff, volunteers and students that work in the laboratories.

Support Museum programs by providing volunteers and assigning them in appropriate areas where needed.

• Offer incentives for individuals and groups to increase their participation in the Museum and its programs.

• Recognize the contributions of volunteers and their respective service hours at annual volunteer appreciation events.

1. Develop meaningful education programs that are aligned with state and national education standards and reform initiatives and promote repeat visits. Create ongoing learning opportunities with educators. 2. Improve communication with schools, education-related organizations, and the public to increase visibility of new and ongoing programming. 3. Increase collaboration with other museums and agencies. 4. Implement effective methods of gallery interpretation. Create multiple levels of interpretation to enhance learning opportunities to enable a full family learning experience. 5. Provide Museum experiences that are engaging, educational, memorable and visitor friendly. 6. Provide a high level of customer focus that enhances the visitor experience. 7. Provide a safe and secure environment for the Museum visitor.

Operate the Vertebrate Paleontology and Archaeology laboratories so that the visitors can see and understand cutting-edge scientific research in action. Specimens will be prepared and examined by trained staff and volunteers in the laboratories on public view. Develop a vehicle that will aid K-12 students in understanding the scientific method and provide visitors with an interactive experience of fundamental research procedures. This is particularly important in the surrounding underserved rural community.

• Continue the operation of the two laboratories that can be viewed by the general public and increase the number of staff, volunteers and students that work in the laboratories.

1. Increase Corporate Partnership support for the Museum. 2. Increase Foundation/corporate grants for education and research programs. 3. Increase contracts and contacts for the Museum. 4. Increase upper level memberships. 5. Increase membership base annually. 7. Develop quality and popular fee-based programs. 8. Develop a strong retail environment that encourages visitor purchases. 9. Develop revenue averaging $2,000 to $10,000 per year via a molding and casting program.

Increase funding for museum programs through: (1) Memberships, (2) Discovery Fund, (3) Corporate Partnerships, (4) Grants, and (5) ongoing prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation.

• The museum continues to add new off-site displays and exhibits throughout Virginia and the region. Host sites include state park visitor centers, partnering museums, and VMNH Affiliates. The museum's traveling exhibits program is growing with the recent addition of the Dinosaur Discovery maze exhibit now available for rental.

• The VMNH Foundation completed a $4 million capital campaign in 2012, with fundraising efforts now focused on soliciting support for mission-centric programs in Research, Education and Exhibits. Current areas of focus include Memberships, Corporate Partnerships, and the annual Discovery Fund.

Protect, conserve and wisely develop our natural, historical and cultural resources.

Collections staff will provide appropriate collections management, preservation, care, and accessibility for the natural history collections of the Commonwealth held in trust by the Museum.

• Catalogue specimens as numbers are requested by research workers both from inside and outside the institution.

• Continue pest management program by monitoring pest traps. Staff will identify and record presence of pests observed in traps, and will enter data into existing spreadsheet. Staff will make recommendations to be implemented in conjunction with Building and Grounds staff.

• Maintain collecting permits and submit all reports associated with the permits.

• Monitor fluid levels for fluid-preserved specimens and adjust as needed.

• Undertake accessions and any necessary deaccessions of specimens.

• Monitor and record temperature and humidity

• CO2 bubble - pest control

Determining the impacts of human activities and natural processes on our state and world relies on up-to-date knowledge of natural history. Natural history collections form the most comprehensive base reference for inventories of fauna and flora in Virginia, and must be kept up to date. Collections form the reference "library" and the database for research into all aspects of natural history, and therefore must be continually updated to reflect advances in our knowledge. Building collections through research also includes curatorial field work programs in the Commonwealth.  Collections from areas outside the Commonwealth provide comparative material, which is necessary for proper investigation and accurate interpretation.  Museum collections will be developed based on areas of greatest need.

• Accept collections from private sources that increase the diversity of the collections.

• Conduct field work in Virginia and elsewhere and incorporate new material into the collections.

• Receive and catalogue specimens received from other institutions with the goal of an extensive inventory of the Commonwealth's fauna and flora.

The Museum is developing a web-accessible database for collections and library holdings to permit all citizens of the Commonwealth some access to the collections that are not on exhibit.

• Add specimens to the database as they are accessioned into the Museum's collections.

• Make part of the database accessible to the public via the Museum's website.

1. Be the premier resource in understanding and interpreting Virginia’s natural heritage within a global context in ways such as programs, exhibits and publications that are relevant to all the citizens of the Commonwealth. 2. Develop meaningful education programs that are aligned with state and national education standards and reform initiatives. 3. Maintain and improve existing outreach programs offices including Southside, Central, and Eastern Virginia outreach programs. 4. Explore new opportunities to strategically identify and cultivate new outreach programs in different regions of the state. 5. Explore existing and emerging technologies to reach more areas the state. 6. Raise awareness and appreciation of the important work of the Museum throughout the state.

Staff design, produce, deliver, evaluate, analyze, and modify educational programs using electronic and distance learning technologies throughout the state.

• Various museum staff will meet regularly to plan, produce, deliver, evaluate, analyze, and modify distance learning programs.

• Design, implement, and modify evaluation tools to assess level of quality and customer satisfaction.

• Plan, design and produce a distance learning program guide for educators.

Collections Care and Management: Develop, maintain, and preserve the state's natural history collections held by the Virginia Museum of Natural History (the Museum); make them available to scientists and the public; utilize them in research projects, exhibits, and education programs; and preserve them in perpetuity as a record of Virginia's natural history.

Title 10.1 Conservation, Chapter 20, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Code of Virginia:  This service area supports the mission of the Museum by preserving the various elements of natural history found in Virginia and other parts of the United States and the world, where specimens of natural history, especially those of Virginia origin, can be properly housed, cared for, cataloged, and studied to ensure a permanent repository of the state's natural heritage.

Natural History Collections: 1) Scientific specimens used for research and as a record of the natural history of the Commonwealth, including preservation of specimens collected from sites or areas that no longer exist. 2) Exhibit quality specimens.  3) Educational program specimens: Specimens appropriate for use in educational programming where objects can be handled by students and visitors.

Specimen Information: Information such as the presence and distribution of certain species or other natural resources in various geographic areas, the effects of varying preservation practices upon specimens, and historical information about the collection and acquisition of some of our older 19th century collections.



Ongoing preservation, and accessibility to collections.



Preservation of at-risk collections obtained from other state agencies and universities.

The Museum's Division of Collections Management and Curatorial Services area is funded partly by general fund appropriation and partly by grants.

Develop meaningful education programs that are aligned with state and national education standards and reform initiatives; provide Museum experiences that are engaging, educational, safe, memorable, and visitor friendly by implementing effective methods of interpretation to provide a full range of learning experiences. Provide scientifically informed and accurate natural history and related educational programs for students, teachers and the public; and develop awareness of Virginia's natural heritage among all citizens through a variety of learning experiences, including programs, presentations, exhibits, electronic media, and publications.

Title 10.1 Conservation, Chapter 20, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Code of Virginia:  This service area supports the agency's mission to exhibit the various elements of natural history found in Virginia and other parts of the United States and the world, and to foster an understanding and appreciation of how man and the earth have evolved. This service area also supports the Museum’s mission to encourage and promote research in the varied natural heritage of Virginia and other parts of the world while encouraging individuals and scholars to study Virginia's natural history and to apply this understanding of the past to the challenges of the future.

Education programs and presentations

Instructional technology services and products

Outreach education programming from centers in Martinsville/Southside, Lynchburg/South Central, Charlottesville/Central, and Newport News/Eastern regions.

 

Based on current levels, 32% of the funding for this service area will come from the general fund for FY2019.  Special funds (68%) will be generated from programs and federal and state grants.  This budget also reflects a one-time funding of $250,000 in the general fund for a pre-planning study. Information technology was transferred from the service area to the Operational and Support Service area as recommended by our DPB budget analyst.

The Operational and Support service area provides overall direction and management of the Museum, ensuring adherence to applicable state laws, rules and regulations. This service area is comprised of two major divisions:

1. Administration and Services. This area provides management of the Museum's cash flow, internal controls, cost effectiveness, and overall operations of facilities and resources. It ensures that the Museum continues to be well-managed and cost-efficient, using its resources effectively to advance its mission. It provides policies and procedures and ensures that the Museum has an efficient and diverse workforce; provides efficient facility operations, maintenance, protection, and improvement of the Museum facility; supports the Museum in providing goods and services for operations and programs; and manages capital outlay and maintenance reserve projects.

2. Advancement. This division raises awareness of the Museum, resulting in increased attendance; provides information to the public on the Museum's programs and services; and supports the Museum's programs by generating revenue from admissions and retail sales. This division also promotes an active membership base, resulting in increased membership retention and increased levels of membership; provides increased individual, foundation, corporate, and a range of government support for exhibits, events, education, research, and public programs; and expands the Museum's fundraising efforts to a broad audience across the Commonwealth.

Title 10.1 Conservation, Chapter 20, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Code of Virginia:  This service area directly aligns with the Museum's mission to "interpret Virginia's natural heritage within a global context in ways that are relevant to all citizens of the Commonwealth" as it seeks to build awareness of the Museum, and increase attendance, participation, and support. 

Development of contributed income from individuals, corporations, and foundations through the Museum's Foundation; provides income to the Museum for education, exhibits, research, and public programs.



Communications: Marketing and External Affairs staff will continue to provide information to broad and specialized audiences through the monthly e-newsletter, the website, calendar and events listings in a variety of media and other organization's literature, press featuring coverage in newspapers, periodicals, radio and television, and social media.

Advertising and Promotions: Marketing and External Affairs staff will continue to promote programs and events for the different areas within the Museum through paid advertising, brochures, coupons and other incentives and discounts as budget allows.



Special Events: Development and Special Events staff and Marketing and External Affairs staff will continue to create and implement major special events, family festivals, exhibit openings, guest lectures and performers to provide additional enhancements to visitors' Museum experiences.



Membership Development: Provide membership value and opportunities for increased engagement to Museum visitors and supporters through the cultivation of new members and nurturing of existing members. Provide increased revenue to the Museum.

The Museum's operational and support services are funded mostly by general fund appropriation and earned income. The Museum generates earned income from admissions, gift shop sales, room rentals, memberships, miscellaneous sources such as sales tax, and special events. A portion of the payroll is funded by the Museum's Foundation and various grants. Exhibits are partially funded by sponsorships through the Foundation.  The overall budget reflects a transfer of information technology to the Operational and Support Service area as recommended by our DPB budget analyst.  It was previously budgeted in Education and Extension Services.

This service area provides scientifically informed and accurate natural history publications, programs and exhibits for researchers, students, teachers and the public. It also develops awareness of Virginia's natural heritage among all citizens via popular and technical presentations and publications and the Museum's website, newsletter and publication series.

Title 10.1 Conservation, Chapter 20, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Code of Virginia:  This service area supports the mission of this agency to investigate and preserve the various elements of natural history found in Virginia and other parts of the United States and the world and to foster an understanding and appreciation of how man and the earth have evolved while encouraging and promoting research in the varied natural heritage of Virginia and other parts of the world. 

The Scientific Research Service Area offers various products and services to support education, exhibits and the general public.

 

This area is financed partially by general fund appropriation and partially by grants and federal funds.