Karen Poth was named Executive Director of the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in 2023. In that role, she’s led a reimaging of the museum – increasing visitor counts and developing landmark exhibits on the Mobile River Delta and Jimmy Buffett.
Karen is an innovative storyteller and thinker with a proven track record of building and leading teams, developing organizational strategy, crafting interactive experiences, branding and marketing. Before her time in Mobile, Karen was the creative director for the Museum of the Bible, in Washington, D.C., and has held senior roles at Walt Disney World, Hallmark Cards, and the VeggieTales franchise.
Karen holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri as well as a “Mousters” and a “Ducktorate” in Theme Park Management from Disney University. She is a published author of more than 30 children’s books and has designed and produced more than 45 museum exhibitions.
A storyteller at heart, Karen believes any creative organization’s ultimate duty is to tell stories and create experiences that bring joy and inspiration to the human spirit.