Its time for another Meet the Staff post, this time featuring Karen Ross. There are plenty of exciting events that happen here, and often these serve as a gateway to introduce people to the Museum’s other services and offerings. Enjoy this fifth installment of Meet the Staff and getting to know Karen a little more!
Karen Ross
Name, Job Title: Karen Ross, Events Coordinator
Where are you originally from/What do you consider your hometown: Warner Robins.
Tell us a little about your educational background: I’m a graduate of Warner Robins High School, received my associates in Science and Early Childhood Education at Georgia Military College, and continued my education at Wesleyan College where I received my bachelors in Communication and Studio Art.
What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy or what do you do in your free time: Occasionally, I’ll work on a painting. I love working out. I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. My expectations were very low in the beginning, but I have a few impressive dishes. Other than that, housework is never-ending and having a lazy afternoon is always nice.
How long have you worked at the museum: I volunteered in the summer of 2007 and helped out with the Auction. My efforts were remembered and things lined up in May of 2010.
What does your job involve: Every day is different here at the Museum. I get to work with so many people in and out of our community and I enjoy helping them out. Growing up in Warner Robins I did not realize how busy the Museum is. I help schedule and assist with numerous retirements, meetings, celebrations, and big fundraising Museum events – and every function is just as important as the next. There is a lot of anticipation and lessons learned with each event. Things get a little crazy here some days and we all try on new hats, but if we didn’t have these exciting events the days would go by very slow.
If you were not working here at the museum, what kind of job would you like to have: If I lived in the right area, I’d want to be a concert promoter. I’ve always loved concerts and think it would be really fun to put something like that together.
How does being a museum employee change your experience when you visit other museums? It makes me appreciate the workers and volunteers that keep the exhibits looking sharp, the facilities clean, and the people happy. There’s so much involved behind the scenes. I’m aware that people are working constantly so that visitors can enjoy a museum year round….even on holidays!
What is your favorite aircraft or exhibit at the museum and why: Each exhibit is unique and evolving, but WWII is my favorite Hangar by far. WWII has always been most interesting to me. The displays in our newest hangar are very interactive and exciting. The Emmy award-winning film, Papa Said, “We Should Never Forget” is a great feature and story for the Museum. Two of our Museum employees were able to travel with production, meet the sisters the movie is based upon, and recreate the village of Graignes based on their eye-witness accounts and personal photos. You really don’t want to skip WWII during your visit!
