The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport recently appointed David Bush director of its Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium. Bush, who has served as the planetarium’s technical and production coordinator since 2000, is an astronomy and earth science educator.
“Dave’s depth of knowledge, his experience as both an astronomy educator and as planetarium director for school districts, plus his skills as a technical pro and production artist make him uniquely qualified for this job,” said Lance Reinheimer, executive director of the museum.
In his new post, Bush will hire and manage planetarium staff, collaborate with development staff on grants and fundraising events, work with the administration on strategic planning, and acquire and maintain planetarium technology. He will also work with the Education, Curatorial, and Communications departments on programs that promote the museum’s mission and collaborate with regional planetariums, science centers, observatories and museums to share ideas and to develop and deliver quality programming.
“I am thrilled and ready to take the planetarium in some new and exciting directions,” said Bush. “We have an incredible staff of talented educators and astronomers. I want to facilitate the growth of our team to create fresh content for the public and for visiting school groups from all over Long Island and beyond.
Bush said he wanted to focus on the visitor experience. “We want audiences to have a fun, memorable time that will leave them with a sense of awe and appreciation for the astonishing beauty of the night sky. Observing the heavens at night can spark some of our deepest questions about life and the universe.”
“The planetarium specializes in astronomy education, but we also do much more,” he said, continuing, “Our entertainment offerings include laser light shows, live concerts under the dome, plays, poetry and other creative ventures that use the amazing visual capabilities of the domed planetarium theater. We want to expand those offerings.”
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