Dear Talcott Community:

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jeffrey L. Martin as TMSC’s third Executive Director, effective July 1, 2022. As previously announced, Jonathan Craig will retire from his role as Executive Director after forty-three years of service to the Science Center. The Board of Trustees organized a Search Committee consisting of Trustees, alumni, staff and parents. With the help of a professional search firm, a field of strong candidates was narrowed, with Jeff Martin ultimately selected as Jonathan Craig’s successor with the unanimous acclaim of the Search Committee and the Board of Trustees.

Over the course of his career, Jeff has displayed an impressive growth mindset, strong leadership, communication and organizational skills, and a tireless work ethic, all of which have supported him well in his various academic and administrative roles. Jeff graduated summa cum laude from Judson College, Illinois, with a Bachelor of Arts degree as a Music major.  He began his teaching career in an independent elementary school in Indianapolis, Indiana, and soon moved to a residential independent secondary school outside of Boston, the Chapel Hill – Chauncy Hall School (CH-CH). Jeff spent six years at CH-CH serving first as the Chair of their Performing Arts Department and then as the Dean of Students.  Jeff earned the respect of veteran teachers and administrators at CH-CH by displaying boundless energy, solid personal values, and natural emotional intelligence.

Jeff moved to Connecticut in 2012, where he served as Director of Community Engagement & Education at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, gaining experience in educational programming, fundraising, public relations, and community outreach while developing important relationships with leaders of greater Hartford’s corporate and philanthropic community. During this time, Jeff also completed his Master’s Degree in Education (2013) with a focus in Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati. Jeff was soon hired as the Assistant Head of School at Covenant Preparatory School, a middle school for inner-city boys from underserved families in Hartford. In this position, Jeff led all aspects of the daily educational operation of Covenant Prep.

Five years later, Jeff was hired as the Executive Director of the Children’s Community School in Waterbury, Connecticut. During his tenure at CCS, Jeff has inspired staff, improved financial management, fundraising, and public outreach at the school. He has shouldered all responsibilities for leading the educational programs, financial operations, and institutional advancement efforts at CCS, while also working with the Board of Trustees on strategic initiatives.

Jeff is dedicated to creating a culture in which faculty and staff are empowered to think outside the box to create innovative solutions for today’s challenging educational landscape. He is mission-driven and keen to honor TMSC’s timeless traditions while forging ahead with new vision, curiosity, and creativity. Our new Executive Director brings a strong sense of scientific curiosity and lifelong learning to the position and will be supported by our eminent scientific staff as we shape future programs and curricula in science education. Jeff exemplifies the qualities that both the Board of Trustees as well as the Search Committee looked for to lead TMSC into its next chapter.

I sincerely thank the Search Committee, the Board of Trustees, TMSC and TMA faculty and staff, parents, and alumni for their dedicated and focused work throughout the process. The Search Committee spent many hours fulfilling their charge, adhering to best practices and undertaking due diligence.  Jeff Martin is a principled educational leader whose creativity, professionalism, intelligence, and empathy will serve our students, staff, and the entire TMSC family exceedingly well.

Jonathan Craig continues to serve as TMSC’s Executive Director through June 30, 2022, and will remain working until the end of the year to support Jeff in his new role as Executive Director, facilitating his transition into the TMSC community. We thank Jonathan for his strong support of our search process as we congratulate Jeff on his new role!

Kind regards,

Rhonda L.C. Bird
Chair, Board of Trustees
Talcott Mountain Science Center for Student Involvement, Inc.