Successful Entrepreneur, Brad Robinson joins the non-profit sector. It’s a Natural fit

Although it took him about 12 years to get a four-year degree, Brad Robinson hopes his plans for the Montana Natural History Center http://www.thenaturecenter.org/ are on a faster, more direct track. Robinson, the new executive director of the center, is hoping to make it more visible to the community – and to possible members and donors.

New director of environmental education center says nature has always been part of his life

By MICK HOLIEN of the Missoulian

Brad Robinson’s transition from beer making to natural history isn’t as diametric as it might seem.

One of three founders of Big Sky Brewing, Robinson recently became the executive director of the Montana Natural History Center, a nonprofit environmental education provider at Fort Missoula.

Robinson made the foray into the beer business in an effort to stay in Missoula after college.

"We hatched this marvelous scheme to create a high-quality business where we wanted to be," he said.

But Robinson, who has a zoology degree with an emphasis in natural history, has long had an interest in such things as environmental education.

"I’ve been doing some of this on my own all my life," he said, recalling his passion for gathering rocks when he was a youngster. "I think this is absolutely perfect."

Robinson believes more than a decade of business experience can only be a benefit in his current position.

"I was learning business the way we teach science, hands on. I think it’s the best way," he said. "I feel like education experience and business experience has put me in a really good spot to work with a group of people who are already doing really good work. I’m just ecstatic to be in this position."

Since its inception in 1990, the Montana Natural History Center has offered environmental education in western Montana by cultivating partnerships with schools and state and federal agencies.

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http://www.thenaturecenter.org/

[email protected]

(406) 327-0405

fax (406) 327-0421

Bldg. T2

Fort Missoula Rd.

Missoula, MT 59804

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But as a nonprofit, it exists only through donations and fund-raisers.

"We don’t get funding from taxpayers unless those taxpayers see fit to donate to us," Robinson said. "I think a lot of people think we’re a government agency. There’s a lot of misinformation. Because we do so much education and so much outreach primarily to school-age kids, we’re kind of invisible."

Now, Robinson and Betsy Maier, the center’s development director, are focused on making the center more visible.

"We just want to take it to that next level where it’s more visible and doing more outreach and serving more people. I think the organization is really sitting on the brink and it has the opportunity to explode," Robinson said. "If you can get people to experience learning, they’ll remember it."

He and Maier would like to increase membership in the center from its current level of 300 to 350, with the goal of reaching 700 by 2005; evaluate current programs to ensure they continue to meet community needs; and increase adult and family opportunities by offering additional programming, opening on Saturdays and – perhaps most ambitious – relocating near downtown.

Membership and financial support, they say, will be driven by the number and diversity of programs they offer.

"Fund-raising when we have the programs isn’t a problem," Maier said. "We can support the programs."

And moving downtown – whether it’s in three months or three years – where they’re closer to activities such as First Night and First Friday, will help attract more visitors.

"We’re so quiet out here (at Fort Missoula) that I think a lot of people don’t see us, don’t know about us," Robinson said.

And if Maier and Robinson have their way, the move to another location will come sooner rather than later.

"We’re pretty committed Š and we’re looking around right now. This has been a nice spot, but it’s an intermediate spot," Maier said. "It’s time for us to be a grown-up."

"We’ve been doing it for so long that we really feel that we want to make the next leap. We’d like to be bigger and better fast," Robinson added. "The organization spent a little bit of time languishing in adolescence and it is time for it to figure out who it is, where it wants to go, and we’re going to take it there."

There also is an opportunity for the center to figure into the lure of tourism by contributing more to the cultural mix of western Montana, he said.

"There’s so many things that we do," Robinson said. "Missoula’s such a vibrant community and I think we can participate in kind of unique ways with for-profits and nonprofits. That’s what our dream is for this place."

Reporter Mick Holien can be reached at 523-5262 or at [email protected]

http://missoulian.com/articles/2003/10/02/news/local/news03.txt