About

Joel A. Bartsch began his long career in the museum field as a security guard. Within two decades, he was at the helm of that very same museum, the Houston Museum of Natural Science. A lifelong resident of Houston, Joel Bartsch earned a degree in seminary studies from Concordia University in Austin. Shortly after graduating, he took on a position as a curator for the Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hawaii. In that role, he honed his skills in writing grant requests and increasing membership numbers.

Joel Bartsch returned to the mainland to work as a curator for the California State Mining & Mineral Museum and was promoted to director within a year. After leading several successful fundraising campaigns for that institution, he returned to Houston as Director of Earth Sciences for the Museum of Natural Science. He oversaw projects with budgets of up to $5 million and worked with professionals from museums around the world.

In 2004, Mr. Bartsch became the museum’s CEO and president. During his 15-year tenure, Joel Bartsch added more than 250,000 square feet of new exhibit space and attracted new members and visitors by opening an interactive science center. Today, the Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of the most visited in the U.S.