Linda Silver

Linda Silver, Ed.D., joined the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in July 2017 as the Eugene McDermott Chief Executive Officer. Under her leadership, the Perot Museum has launched several successful new initiatives including the complete redesign of the museum’s Being Human Hall; innovative programs for guest engagement; the installation of a new Paleo Lab that provides visitors real-time views of the museum’s field research and discoveries; the announcement of two Centers of Excellence – in gems and minerals and paleoanthropology; and a partnership with National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Prof. Lee Berger and the University of the Witwatersrand that produced a world-first virtual reality tour of one of the most significant human ancestor fossil sites on Earth.

Prior to leading the Perot Museum, Linda worked for the government of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where she served as associate director of the Technology Development Committee. While in this position, she oversaw the creation and growth of informal science education initiatives aimed at building a sustainable and diversified knowledge economy for integration into the global ecosystem. Prior to this position, she spent eight years as the president and CEO of Great Lakes Science Center – one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers. She led the center in its first-ever strategic planning process and achieved a financial turnaround, taking the institution from operating losses to a balanced budget and creating a 75% earned-revenue business model.

She holds degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles – Bachelor of Arts; Pepperdine University – Master of Business Administration; the University of Southern California — Doctorate of Education and Harvard Business School – Executive Education Program. Linda is a passionate and experienced museum leader with an unparalleled track record of delivering exceptional science education, civic and community engagement, and operational excellence.