The museum recently lost a tremendous person ...

November 13, 2019

The museum recently lost a tremendous person, co-worker, and friend with the passing of Cindy Gray, long-time executive assistant at the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

Cindy began her museum career on December 17, 1998 as development assistant and was quickly promoted to the position of executive assistant on August 10, 2000. During her tenure as executive assistant, Cindy served with former executive directors Steve Pike and Tim Gette, and most recently with Dr. Joe Keiper.

Assisting executive leadership, however, was only part of Cindy's role at the museum. Cindy quickly became one of the most recognized faces at VMNH, serving as a central liaison between the museum and its many constituents, from its members and benefactors, to its Board of Trustees and government officials. She was also heavily involved with seemingly every aspect of the museum and well known to staff for her exceptional planning and organizational skills. From helping plan major museum events, such as festivals, galas, and award ceremonies, to organizing staff Christmas parties and luncheons, Cindy was always there to make sure everything ran perfectly.

During her tenure, Cindy also saw many profound changes at VMNH, including the museum's transformation from a small operation located in a former elementary school building, to a renowned natural history museum housed in a state-of-the-art facility. Cindy's fingerprints are found throughout this transformation, as well as the general day-to-day operations of the museum. Her contributions were countless and will not be forgotten.

"There isn't a staffer at VMNH that didn't interface with Cindy," said Dr. Keiper. "The job title of 'executive assistant' does not begin to describe the numerous roles she took on. As a museum professional, she was passionately driven to help VMNH achieve its mission."

Thank you, Cindy, for all you have done for the museum. We will miss you greatly.