By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD
I knew when I had lunch with Dianne Clark back in November that I wouldn’t be able to tell the whole story of what she has been able to accomplish in just one story. I was right. So today, you get “more of the story” about the woman who has transformed Sci-Port Discovery Center.
Things were buzzing at Sci-Port back in early November.
That’s where Bossier Mayor Tommy Chandler, Shreveport and Bossier city officials, friends of tourism and event organizers were holding a holiday-themed press conference – emceed by Santa Claus himself – to announce “Holidays on the Red.”
The first floor of the center was filled with holiday music and booths showcasing a multitude of upcoming events and holiday treats.
“We are very excited to kick off the holiday season and help to bring more joy to the area,” said Stacy Brown, executive director of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention Center and Tourist Bureau. “We encourage families and friends to make plans now to come out and enjoy exciting, signature holiday events in Shreveport-Bossier.”
The Holiday Trail of Lights, Rockets Over the Red Fireworks Festival, BELIEVE! Lights the Night, Christmas in Roseland, to name a few.
Oh yeah, and Sno-Port – the interactive science “playground” where visitors engage in snow-themed, science-based activities. The popular holiday event, which began in 2019 and is redesigned annually, represents the imaginations and creations of local artists.
If you weren’t aware of the recent history of Sci-Port Discovery Center, the inclusion of Sno-Port in that day’s announcement may not have seemed like a big deal. But it was, when you consider the fact that the science center and children’s museum was on the brink of non-existence not that long ago.
In 2017, an audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office determined the non-profit organization had improperly used donor-restricted funds for purposes not approved by donors. The long-time executive director left and the facility would close for an upgrade and to get its finances in order. Most of the staff was laid off.
When a new non-profit entity took over the facility in 2018 and new management was brought in, there was hope. When Dianne Clark took over as the new executive director in August of that year, there was a vision.
Clark knew what Sci-Port was created to be. She could see it. Somewhere along the way, the mission had just gotten clouded in financial difficulties and mismanagement.
“Sci-Port’s mission is not to be a restaurant,” Clark explained during our lunch at Pepito XO. “Its mission is not to be everything to everyone. That’s how it got in trouble – it veered from its mission.”
Clark’s duty was to make sure everything that was going to be done lined up with the center’s original mission. Sci-Port had to be re-established as an educational entity and a community resource.
That’s exactly what she has done.
A few weeks after the November press conference, the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Goodman IMAX Dome to recognize the elected officials whose contributions helped to make the revival of Sci-Port a possibility.
And not long after that, the announcement came that Clark had been elected to the Board of Directors of the Giant Screen Cinema Association.
The vision of the GSCA is to create “a network of premium educational immersive theaters that is woven into the fabric of people’s lives, providing enriching, fun experiences and developing world citizens.”
Thanks to Clark, the Goodman IMAX Dome theatre – and Sci-Port Discovery Center — will continue to be part of that vision.
Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com