Joel A. Bartsch - HMNS President and CEO

An experienced museum leader based in Houston, Texas, Joel A. Bartsch began his career as the assistant to the director and curatorial assistant at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. He subsequently spent time as a staff member at the Texas Memorial Museum and Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) and the Lyman House Memorial Museum. Joel A. Bartsch then served as the director and curator of the California State Mining and Mineral Museum between 1988 and 1991.

Mr. Bartsch returned to HMNS as the curator and director of earth sciences and project manager in 1991. Following 13 successful years in this position, he advanced to his current position as the museum’s president and chief executive officer. His decades of leadership have coincided with tremendous growth at HMNS, with yearly attendance nearly doubling and earned annual income growing from under $15 million to approximately $40 million. Between 2010 and 2016, he further served HMNS interests as chairman of the Houston Museum District Association.

Mr. Bartsch received the Carnegie Medal for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Mineralogy in 2004. He holds a master of arts in history and the history of science from Rice University.