Norman O. Burns II is president and CEO of Conner Prairie. He has more than 28 years of experience in various leadership capacities at historical institutions, most recently as executive director at Maymont, a 100-acre property in Richmond, Va., that includes historical buildings, gardens and animal experiences, drawing 500,000 visitors annually.
Prior to Maymont, he served as executive director of four Tennessee museums from 1987 to 2001.
Burns is active in the museum field nationally. He serves as treasurer and council member for the American Association of State and Local History and has served as finance committee chairman, past chairman of the audit committee and CEO forum, and co-chairman of the American Association for State and Local History’s annual meeting in 2011.
He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He and wife Sandy have three grown sons.
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Youth today spend less than half as much time outdoors as children did 20 years ago yet several studies have shown that children need plenty of time outdoors to live happy and healthy. Just as concerning, the average American child today spends at least 45 hours a week staring at some kind of electronic screen which has led to the appearance of what some are calling ‘nature-deficit disorder’ in many children.
Along with expanding its outdoor programming opportunities, Cope Environmental Center, located in Centerville, Ind., has been reaching out across the state to ensure that every child in Indiana is within 60 miles of a partner nature center that will provide environmental education and creative outdoor experiences.
Conner Prairie is a partner in the network and in July opened a new outdoor nature experience called Treetop Outpost. I'll share what this four-story treehouse surrounded by hands-on, immersive activities is, its intent to connect children and families with nature and how it fits into both the missions of the network and Conner Prairie.
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