Episode 10:
Juliette Francis joined the Science Museum’s senior leadership team in November 2013. She brings experience in employee relations, workforce planning, compensation and benefit management, and training and development to her position overseeing the museum’s service to both its paid staff and its expansive volunteer corps.
Juliette comes to the Science Museum from College Possible, a national nonprofit headquartered in Saint Paul that provides low-income students with an intensive curriculum of coaching and support to help them earn college admission and college degrees. As Director of Human Resources and Operations, Francis oversaw the organization’s HR, new site operations, and technology functions. Her professional experience also includes human resources work at Girls Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys and Fury Motors.
Juliette has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She has been actively involved in the Saint Paul Winter Carnival for more than 13 years, and she sits on the Business Programs Advisory Board at Inver Hills Community College.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Juliette got involved in diversity and inclusion work, and how she brings it to her role in human resources at the Science Museum of Minnesota
- Why it can be challenging to admit that you don’t have all the answers, and why pushing yourself into an uncomfortable space is key to your own growth
- Why it is necessary to be aware of yourself and avoid misusing your power and authority in your role
- How the Science Museum of Minnesota is considered to be one of the premiere museums of its kind in the country
- How a science museum can be an ideal place to explore the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion
- Why there is still a great deal of work to do to make science more accessible to everyone, and what programs the Science Museum of Minnesota has to promote science
- Why the Science Museum of Minnesota considers it vitally important to create a culturally competent and inclusive workplace
- Why we have all been conditioned to look for similarities in ourselves and others, and why understanding the differences is important, valuable work
- What advice Juliette would offer to anyone wanting to pursue diversity and inclusion work in their own roles
Additional resources:
- Website: www.smm.org