Deborah Triplett

Green Goddess: Lisa Hoffman | Nature-lover

As director of the Charlotte Nature Museum, Lisa combines her love for nature (she has degrees in botany and biology) and her love for education (she’s helped create nature-based school curriculums) with her love of museums (she’s worked for some great ones, including the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.).

“We’re bringing the natural experiences alive for kids every day,” she says.
Lisa’s passion is evident in the impact she’s had: She’s grown the museum’s attendance to more than 60,000 visitors a year, and has worked to update the museum’s exhibits and programs.

In 2006, she headed the creation of a significant exhibit, Our Big Backyard, an immersive, interactive exhibit giving kids a chance to explore life underground. And Lisa remains very hands-on; her favorite part of the job is interacting with the kids that come through the museum each day.

“When you get them excited,” she says, “you can’t help but be excited, too.”

~Aleigh Acerni