Maria Farrington: a catalyst for education.

• Author: Johnson, Allison
• Position: Spotlight

Maria Farrington, CEO of the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum in Salt Lake City, has a strong vision for the future of the museum and will not compromise those goals. After only two and a half years as the head of the museum, Farrington has already accomplished a great deal and shows no signs of slowing down.

"I don't want the status quo. I really want to grow into our potential," she says. "We are committed to not only making [the museum] state of the art, [but] one of the best in the Western part of the United States."

Farrington, a Texas native, has always had a strong interest in museums and children's education. She received bachelor's degrees from the University of Houston in history and political science, and shortly thereafter started working for a cultural museum. This position sparked her interest in childhood education, as she worked directly with schools visiting the museum. She later continued working in the education field by serving as the executive director of an organization that brokered health and social services to schools in the San Antonio area.

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"My career has always centered in some facet of education," she says. "I enjoy it."

Farrington relocated to Utah a number of years ago and began working as the director of community building for United Way. This position gave Farrington additional experience in the nonprofit sector and gave her an in-depth look at the needs and assets of the Salt Lake area.

Farrington used this knowledge to her advantage when she started working with the Discovery Gateway in 2002 after being nominated to be on the board of directors. After serving on both the board of directors and the executive committee, Farrington accepted the position of CEO of the museum in early 2008.

The Discovery Gateway is currently the largest...