Wendy Guzmán | Memphis Business Journal
The Museums of Science and History (MoSH) is continuing to grow its team.
MoSH — which includes the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion and Lichterman Nature Center, Mallory-Neely Historic Property, and Coon Creek Science Center — recently announced two team promotions and a pair of new hires.
The Pink Palace saw more than 103,000 visitors in 2024, according to MBJ research.
Kimberly Taylor has been promoted to education senior manager. Leading the education department, Taylor oversees the museum’s educational mission. This covers programming across all museum sites.
Taylor joined MoSH in 2021 after 15 years in private and public schools. She has a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University.
The second promotion is Keiona Word, who is now a community engagement specialist. This role supports MoSH special events, programs, partnerships, and group sales.
Word’s background is in leading large-scale event operations across museums, hospitality orgs, and higher education institutions.
The new hires include David Branch as special events manager and Leshundra Robinson as development manager.
Branch will manage onsite daily operations for the Pink Palace Museum & Mansion’s event spaces. Branch worked at the Pink Palace for 20 years in a previous stint.
Most recently, he worked for the Tennessee Department of Human Services and as operations and events manager for the Rudi E. Schiedt School of Music at the University of Memphis.
As development manager, Robinson will manage donor engagement, grants, corporate partnerships, and fundraising events. She also serves as membership chair for AFP Memphis and is a pro bono consultant with New Memphis.
Robinson has over 20 years of experience in fundraising and donor relations. She has a Master of Public Administration and certifications in Agile Project Management and Fundraising.
“These team members bring a wealth of knowledge and, equally important, passion to their roles, allowing us to better serve our community, foster engagement, and ensure the continued success of our mission to grow access and instill a sense of discovery and education across our entire community,” MoSH interim executive director and COO Jeff King said in a release.
In February, the museum announced its search for a new executive director after Kevin Thompson resigned at the end of 2025. King took over in the role in the interim.