Sophie McDermott | Daily Memphian
Jeff King has been running Memphis Museums of Science & History for nearly a year. Now, he has the job for good.
The MoSH Board of Trustees unanimously appointed King to the position, effective Sept. 18, following a national search, MoSH announced.
MoSH operates the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion, Lichterman Nature Center and the Mallory-Neely Historic Property in Memphis and the Coon Creek Science Center in Adamsville, Tennessee.
King said his priorities as executive director will include updating permanent exhibits, expanding access for visitors from Memphis and the surrounding region, growing major events and developing new visitor experiences.
“These museums, their remarkable collections and experiences and the people who bring them to life hold a very special place in my heart,” King said in a statement. “I am grateful for the confidence of the Board and proud to work alongside such a talented and dedicated staff.”
King joined MoSH in 2021 as director of guest services and became chief operating officer in 2023. He became interim executive director in December 2025.
He came to Memphis after holding several leadership positions at the Denver Art Museum, including director of operations.
His background includes museum operations, strategic planning, staff development, financial oversight and visitor engagement.
King earned a bachelor’s degree in fine and studio arts and a minor in art history from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
MoSH’s board worked with Museum Search & Reference, an executive search firm specializing in museum leadership, to conduct the search.
“Jeff brings a rare combination of institutional knowledge, operational expertise and a deep, genuine love for each of our museum properties,” Gwyn Fisher, chair of the MoSH Board of Trustees, said in a statement.
Fisher said King’s time as interim director showed the board that he understood both the organization’s history and its opportunities for the future.
As COO, King oversaw MOSH’s education, exhibitions and collections, marketing, theater and planetarium operations, public programming and other functions.
Kevin Thompson served as executive director of the MoSH from 2020 through 2025.
He resigned at the end of 2025.