July 14, 2016

Discovery Place Announces Appointment of Seven New Board of Trustees Members for 2016-2017

Discovery Place, Inc. welcomed seven new appointed members to its Board of Trustees and announced the new officers for 2016-2017.

CHARLOTTE – Discovery Place, Inc. welcomed five new appointed members to its Board of Trustees and announced the new officers for 2016-2017.
New members joining the Board of Trustees are:

  • Laura Bowles, Chief Financial Officer at Movement Mortgage
  • Frank Chatman, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo
  • Brian Leary, President, Commercial and Mixed Use, Crescent Communities
  • Linda Parker Hudson, Chairman and CEO of The Cardea Group
  • Jennifer McConnell, EVP of General Counsel at Compass Group North America
  • Cecil Stodghill, Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management at Providence Day School
  • Krista S. Tillman, Executive in Residence at UNC Charlotte’s College of Health & Human Services

“I am delighted to welcome this new group of talented and passionate leaders to our Board as we prepare to celebrate our 70th anniversary this fall,” said Catherine Wilson Horne, Discovery Place president and CEO. “Their diverse experience, leadership and dedication to education will help ensure Discovery Place continues to inspire curious thinkers to discover the wonders of science, technology and nature for many more years to come.”

Also announced is the new Chairman of the Board, Mark McGoldrick of Weichert Financial Services. He is joined by new board officers Vice Chairman for Internal Affairs Luther Lockwood of MBL Advisors; Vice Chairman for External Affairs Martin Foley of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; Secretary Joan Lorden, Ph.D. of UNC Charlotte; and Past Chairman Dianne Chipps Bailey of Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson. All officers will serve terms through June 2017. The new board and leadership began their term on July 1.

Returning board members include Joclyn Balanda with PNC, Aditya Bhasin with Bank of America, Rich Campbell of Cameron Carmichael, Leibert Danielson with UTC Aerospace Systems, Alfred Dawson with Carolinas Healthcare System, Pat Dean with Balfour Beatty, civic leader Fred Dumas, Lee Fite with Fifth Third Bank, Patsy Kinsey with Charlotte City Council, Gayle Lanier with Duke Energy, civic leader Stuart Malter, Michael McDermott with Lowe’s, civic leader Bill Morrissett, Chris Perri with CBRE Global Corporate Services, Walter Price with Moore & Van Allen, Andrea Smith with Bank of America, Troy Tozzi with Deloitte, and Tom Zweng with Novant Health.

Each Discovery Place trustee serves on at least one standing Board committee. Trustees approve organizational policies, review operational goals, advocate for the organization, support organization staff and contribute financially to the Museums’ success. They also ensure that adequate financial and other necessary support is made available through a broad variety of sources in order to sustain the programs and other services of the corporation.


About Discovery Place

One of the top hands-on science museums in the nation, Discovery Place provides ever-changing, entertaining facilities that engage people in the active exploration of science, technology and nature. The Museum brings relevant, contemporary science to life through groundbreaking exhibitions, interactive educational programming and hands-on activities.

Discovery Place is located in uptown Charlotte at 301 N. Tryon Street. Convenient parking is available in the Museum’s parking deck – the Carol Grotnes Belk Complex – at the corner of Sixth and Church Streets. For more information about Discovery Place, call 704.372.6261, visit discoveryplace.org or connect with Discovery Place on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Discovery Place, Inc. owns and operates Discovery Place, Charlotte Nature Museum, Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville and Discovery Place KIDS-Rockingham and is supported, in part, with funding from the Arts & Science Council.

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Emotions are complicated. They’re so complicated that scientists still don’t even fully understand them! One thing that scientists do know, though, is that some of our biggest feelings are caused by a tiny part of the brain called the amygdala.

The amygdala is a bundle of important nerve cells deep inside the brain. Everyone has two amygdales—there’s one in each half of the brain. The amygdala works with the parts of the brain that control memory, behavior and emotion, and this tiny group of cells packs a big punch when it comes to emotions, especially stress and fear.

Most people don’t like to feel scared, but humans are fascinated by it! Think of all the spookiness in the month of October. The rush of energy and emotion people get by being scared can be enjoyable in controlled situations, like a scary movie or an amusement park ride.

No matter the source of the scare, the amygdala’s role is the same. The amygdala is like a bridge connecting two very different parts of the brain: the part that controls the body functions you aren’t aware of (like breathing) and the part that “thinks” for you.

This means that when your amygdala gets information that tells you something scary is happening, it can send signals that make your heart race and your breathing get faster, making you feel scared!