Executive Director Offers Visitors a Classroom
Without Walls at the Cradle of Aviation Museum
WOMEN of ACHIEVEMENT
OCCUPATION /POSITION: Museum Director/
Executive Director
EMPLOYER: Cradle of Aviation Museum
HOMETOWN: Lynbrook NY
MENTOR: Cheryl Davidson Senior Corporate Director,
Workforce Readiness, Northwell Health
HOBBY: Photography, hiking
FAVORITE BOOKS: Frankenstein, Stranger in a
Strange Land, In Harm’s Way, Old Man in the Sea
(I have a long list)
FAVORITE MOVIES: Jaws, It’s a Wonderful Life,
Aliens, WallE
HAPPY PLACE: Anywhere in nature, love the
great outdoors
FAVORITE QUOTE OR MOTTO: You can’t fly into
flying
all the Women of Achievement
Hard Work and Dedication
AIRPORT VOICE, APRIL 2019 13
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
At the Cradle of Aviation museum in Long Island,
New York, visitors can marvel at an exhibit of
aviation and aerospace that extends along Museum
Row, but behind the impressive displays there’s just
as much to admire, like the dedicated work of executive
director, Jennifer Baxmeyer.
In September 2018, Baxmeyer was promoted to
the role of executive director after 15 years of working
with the museum. In 2005, Baxmeyer started out
as the education coordinator, and steadily moved up
throughout her tenure with the museum.
For Baxmeyer, one of the most inspiring aspects
of what she does is having the opportunity to inform
the public about “the rich history of the island.”
“This year we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary
of the Apollo 11 lunar landings,” said Baxmeyer.
“I love when Long Islanders come here and tell me
their grandfather or their dad worked at Grumman
and we tell them they probably worked on the lunar
module, or we have an aircraft here that they might
have worked on; they become very proud.”
Baxmeyer started her career as an art teacher
but felt confined by the curriculum of formal education.
At the museum, the idea of visitors being able
to learn in an interactive environment was something
she fell in love with. Along with seeing visitors
learn in a “classroom without walls,” Baxmeyer
enjoys the wide array of visitors that come to the
museum, from very young to the elderly, and the excitement
of seeing how visitors learn and absorb all
that the museum has to offer adds to the informal
educational setting. Now, as executive director, Baxmeyer
is responsible for the daily operations of the
museum, including overseeing visitors and the departments
that comprise the entire museum.
As a woman of achievement, Baxmeyer tries to
inspire other women to feel welcome to join the aviation
industry.
“Every March we have a Women in STEM event
for Women’s History Month, said Baxmeyer. “This
past year, Nicole Stott, a former astronaut and an
artist came and spoke to 300 females. The aviation
and aerospace field is amazing and there’s room for
everyone.”
We Congratulate
For Their
The AMT Children of Hope Foundation
c/o Nassau County Police Department
1490 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501
Tim Jaccard
tjaccard@amtchildrenofhope.com
Business Offi ce 516-781-3511
link
link