Brown County has hired an interim director of the Neville Public Museum to oversee its operations in the short term while a newly formed task force explores the museum’s future.
Mike Reed will start effective June 29, County Executive Troy Streckenbach announced in a June 19 news release. The Neville has been without a leader since former director Beth Kowalski resigned Sept. 15, 2025.
Reed was with the Field Museum in Chicago for several years. He then spent 34 years with the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, eventually becoming director in 2011d, according to the county. He then moved to project manager of the Dick Resch & Family Nature and Conservation Center before retiring in August 2018.
“Mike’s leadership has been a tremendous benefit to our community for many years,” Streckenbach said in the news release. “While the museum task force reviews potential collaborative opportunities and feasibility within 90 days, Mike will provide executive leadership and guidance on a day-to-day basis for the staff during this interim period.”
The Neville’s future has become a growing public concern in the wake of Kowlaski’s resignation in September. Two Brown County Board members in October requested the county look into changing the Neville’s programming to a children’s museum style model while the county began the search for a new director.
In April, members of Green Bay’s Public Arts Commission and City Council grew concerned about the monthslong vacancy at the top of the Neville and a rumored proposal outlining a merger of the Green Bay Children’s Museum and Neville. The Public Arts Commission forwarded a resolution asking the county to prioritize hiring a new director to the City Council for consideration. Council members opted to table the resolution after discussions with County Board members, and other community leaders indicated any discussions about the Neville’s future would be collaborative.
In early June, Streckenbach announced the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation would convene a task force of stakeholders to study and explore the basic feasibility of a collaboration or partnership between the Neville and Children’s Museum.
Dennis Buehler, president and CEO of the Community Foundation, said the task force in the next 90 days will do the initial study work to identify what a partnership might look like, determine its basic viability and seek votes of support for further study from the Neville Foundation, Children’s Museum and county.
Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X at @JeffBollier.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Brown County hires interim director for Neville Public Museum
Reporting by Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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By Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
