Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Announces Tina Quealy as Next CEO

MILWAUKEE — Betty Brinn Children’s Museum (BBCM) today announced Tina Quealy as the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Museum. Quealy’s strength in creating community connections and supporting collaborative teams will enable her to keep BBCM thriving and meeting the needs of the community, while envisioning and building the Museum’s new home.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tina to our leadership team, and look forward to having her advance the Museum’s current operations and guide the transition to our new, permanent home,” said Laura Orr, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Board Chair. “Tina will continue to raise the profile of the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum within the community, while expanding on our mission to inspire all children to wonder and explore their world through play and innovative, hands-on learning experiences.”

For the last 10 years, Quealy has been with the Burke Foundation, most recently serving as its Executive Director. In this role, she developed strategies that invest in education while working in partnership with many nonprofit organizations across the community. She brings strong philanthropic acumen, deep expertise in early childhood education, and is a passionate advocate for increasing the quality of and access to education. A dynamic leader with deep entrepreneurial experience, Quealy has also served as the Associate Director for the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship at Marquette University, and as Associate Director for the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the Chicago Booth School of Business.

“It’s a great privilege to be selected by the Board of Directors to lead the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum,” said Quealy. “I’m excited about the future of the Museum, and the opportunity to build a transformational space for young people and families across southeastern Wisconsin. My top priority is building a new, inclusive, accessible Museum for families as a resource for their child’s education, enrichment and growth.”

BBCM celebrates Quealy’s arrival to the organization during one of the most pivotal chapters in its history, including achieving the following milestones:

• The Museum welcomed 91,480 guests in the first six months of 2023, a 76% increase over 2022, and is on track to welcome more than 180,000 guests this year.
• Since January, 8,307 children have visited the Museum during 230 field trips.
• 20 percent of guests attended the Museum through the Museum’s Special Admissions Fund programs, offering free or reduced admission.
• In Q1 2023, BBCM achieved record attendance, reflecting the renewed success in museum offerings as patrons were drawn to the new visitor experiences, including a new cafe, Betty’s Beans and Books; reception area; and new exhibits, like the Pet Vet.

Quealy is committed to building on these accomplishments and advancing efforts to find and develop a new home for the Museum. Earlier this year, the Museum retained Colliers International, a leading commercial real estate firm, to support the Museum’s search for its new location. Additional information on the site selection process will be available in the coming weeks.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.