Kris Hoellen, Executive Director, is leading the Museum as it prepares for the 200th anniversary of American Railroading in 2027. Kris was hired in 2018 as a changemaker and during her tenure, the Museum has been designated as a National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site, opened two new permanent exhibitions, 3 temporary exhibitions, launched a skilled-trades workforce development program, and won the Greater Baltimore Committee’s Mayor’s Award for Community Impact twice (2019 and 2021). Presently, Kris is leading the Museum’s master planning and capital campaign to prepare the Museum for the 200th anniversary of American railroading in 2027 and beyond. Kris has a transportation background having served with the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences and at the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials as the inaugural Director of the AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence. Prior to the Museum, Kris has served as Senior Vice President/Chief Conservation Officer at the National Aquarium and as Senior Vice President at The Conservation Fund, working with communities around the country on sustainable economic development. She currently serves on the Board of the Southwest Baltimore Partnership and the Greater Baltimore History Alliance as well as the Maryland Semi quincentennial Commission. She was named a Top 50 Women Leaders of Maryland in 2023. She has her M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from The Johns Hopkins University, and BA in History from Emory University.