A dedicated museum professional, Joel A. Bartsch leads the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) as its president and CEO. Possessing more than three decades of experience, he studied mining engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and received a bachelor’s degree in seminary studies from Concordia University in Texas. From there, Joel Bartsch went on to receive an MA in history and history of science from Rice University and is currently a doctoral candidate there.

Throughout his time in school, Mr. Bartsch was making a name for himself in the museum sector. In 1990, he was named a Bay Foundation Scholar at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and was elected to the Museum Standards Committee by the state of California eight years later. Alongside these awards, Mr. Bartsch earned the Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions in Science and Mathematics from Concordia University in 2001 and was the 2004 recipient of the Carnegie Medal for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Mineralogy from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Joel A. Bartsch worked in varying positions at such institutions as the Texas Memorial Museum, California State Mining & Mineral Museum, and Hawaii’s Lyman House Memorial Museum. Through these roles, he gained experience in everything from increasing museum membership base and implementing collection management policies to acquiring funds for new projects and overseeing restructuring processes.