>> CATHY: THE SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA IS ONE OF THE LATEST CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE TO ANNOUNCE STAFF LAYOFFS.

CUTS TO STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS PUT A STRAIN ON THE MUSEUM, WHERE ATTENDANCE LEVELS STILL HAVE NOT RECOVERED FROM THE PANDEMIC DROP.

JOINING US NOW IS ALISON BROWN, PRESIDENT AND CEO.

I WISH IT WAS UNDER BETTER CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU WERE HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

SO DO I.

>> Cathy: YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL ROUNDS OF PLAYOFFS, FOR GOODNESS SAKES.

THIS MOST RECENT ONE.

YOU ALSO HAD A LAYOFF, I THINK, IN 2023, OF COURSE, THERE WAS THAT BIG COVID LAYOFF OF ABOUT 150 PLUS.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WORKING FOR YOU RIGHT NOW?

>> WE HAVE ABOUT 220 EMPLOYEES AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM.

AND WHEN WE STARTED, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WE HAD ALMOST 500 EMPLOYEES AT THE MUSEUM.

>> Eric: WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS IN OFF THE TOP, THERE'S STILL STUFF TO SEE AND YOU'RE STILL OPEN?

>> YES, WE'RE STILL OPEN, IT'S A FANTASTIC TIME, COME HAVE A JOYFUL TIME AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM AND WE STILL DO SCIENCE.

>> Eric: IS THE CHALLENGES OF DOWNTOWN St. PAUL PLAYED ANY IMPACT ON THE ATTENDANCE?

>> YES.

IT CERTAINLY HAS.

AND PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO GET HERE, DRIVING, ALL THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION, -- >> Cathy: IT'S DIFFICULT.

>> PURPLE -- THE ORANGE BARRELS CERTAINLY IS A CHALLENGE AND WE KNOW THAT FROM THE SURVEYING THAT WE'VE DONE.

>> Cathy: SO IT CAME TO -- SOME NONPROFITS WERE PRETTY SURPRISED TO GET THEIR LEGACY MONEY CUT.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: AS MUCH AS IT WAS.

AND I SEE YOU LOST ALMOST HALF OF YOUR LEGACY MONEY.

>> YES, WE DID.

>> Cathy: YOUR STATE MONEY.

>> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: WERE YOU EXPECTING THAT?

>> NO, WE DID NOT EXPECT THAT.

IN FACT, INITIALLY IT WAS GOING TO BE FULLY CUT.

AND, SO, WE DID A LOFT ADVOCACY WORK TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.

TO HAVE BE ONLY CUT 40%.

I SAY ONLY, BUT THAT'S ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS HAPPENING.

SO BETWEEN THE FEDERAL CUTS AND THE STATE CUTS, THOSE ARE OVER 18 POSITIONS OF THOSE.

>> Cathy: WHERE DO YOU NOW TRY TO FIND OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE?

>> WELL, WE'RE WORKING HARD ON FUND-RAISING, WE'RE WORKING ON HARD TO REMIND PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME TO THE MUSEUM, YOU'LL HAVE A JOYFUL TIME.

WE'VE SEPARATED DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE NEED TO COME BACK TOGETHER AND HAVE THE SHARED EXPERIENCE.

>> Eric: WHAT DID YOU SAY TO SOMEBODY ON THE LEGACY COMMITTEE, A PERSON PASSING BY, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FULLY FUNDING THE MUSEUM?

>> WE NEED MORE PEOPLE GOING INTO SCIENCE, E NEED MORE PEOPLE GOING INTO S.T.E.M., REALLY, S.T.E.M.

IS A WAY WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WE'RE FACING IN OUR SOCIETY.

AND PEOPLE REALLY FIND THEIR PATHWAY INTO S.T.E.M.

BY GOING TO THE SCIENCE MUSEUM.

THE ASTRONAUT IS GOING TO BE GOING OUT INTO OUTER SPACE IN ABOUT A YEAR, HE FOUND HIS PASSION BY GOING TO AN OMNI FILM AT THE SCIENCE MUSEUM, SEEING "DREAM ALIVE."

AND THAT'S WHAT HE SAYS IS HOW HE DECIDED TO BECOME AN ASTRONAUT.

HE LOVES GOING TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS, THAT INSPIRES HIM, I CAN HAVE A JOB WHERE I EXPLORE ALL THE TIME AND THAT'S WHAT STARTED HIS PASSION.

THIS IS A WAY THAT WE CAN INSPIRE PEOPLE TO SEE THEMSELVES IN S.T.E.M., WHO TRADITIONALLY DON'T SEE THEMSELVES GOING INTO THIS CAREER.

>> Eric: NOT JUST A KIDS THING?

>> GREAT PLACE FOR A DATE.

WE'RE DOING A LOT MORE ADULT PROGRAMMING, JUST HAVE A JOYFUL TIME COMING TOGETHER, BE TOGETHER WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

>> Cathy: I HEAR YOUR MESSAGE, I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH IT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

HOWEVER, I WONDER, ALL THESE NONPROFITS WHO HAVE HAD FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING CUT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, I SAY WE, I'M TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC MEDIA IN THAT RESPECT, TOO -- >> YOU BET.

>> Cathy: -- HOW DO YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD?

I'M WONDERING AS A MUSEUM, MAYBE ARE YOU DOING TOO MUCH?

DO YOU HAVE TO MAYBE TARGET AND MAYBE PARE BACK?

I MEAN, WHAT'S YOUR PLAN?

>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE -- THAT'S PART OF HOW WE DID OUR PLANNING.

I HAVE TO SAY, THERE WERE TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE.

AND OUR -- ONE OF THE JOYS, OF COURSE, IS THAT OUR MISSION IS LIMITLESS, BUT OUR RESOURCES ARE NOT LIMITLESS.

SO WE HAD TO THINK ABOUT, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON?

AND WE'RE FOCUSING ON SCIENCE, WE STARTED AS A NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON S.T.E.M.

EDUCATION, WE DO THAT STATEWIDE ALL AROUND THE STATE, WE REACH ALL 87 COUNTIES WITH OUR S.T.E.M.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HOW TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO GO INTO S.T.E.M.

AND THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE.

MAKING SURE WE STILL HAVE A HIGH-QUALITY MUSEUM EXPERIENCE.

>> Eric: UNIONIZED EMPLOYEES, AFSCME COUNCIL 5 TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF A LACK OF COLLABORATION.

WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THOSE CONCERNS?

>> WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT THAT THE EMPLOYEES RATIFIED AND IT HAPPENED THIS SPRING.

AND WE ARE FOLLOWING ALL THE CONTRACT THAT WE NEED TO DO TO GO THROUGH THAT.

SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR UNION.

>> Cathy: WERE THEY ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND HASH THROUGH SOME OF THESE CUTS, THOUGH, AS YOU WERE TRYING TO DECIDE HOW TO BE STRATEGIC GOING FORWARD?

>> WE DID THAT OURSELVES, AND THEN AS WE GO THROUGH, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE CONTRACT BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT SENIORITY PROCESS THAT WE EED TO GO THROUGH FOR SOME OF THE POSITIONS WHERE WE DIDN'T ELIMINATE ALL OF THE POSITIONS, THEN WE JUST DETERMINED THROUGH SENIORITY WHO GETS TO STAY AT THE MUSEUM.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T KEEP EVERYBODY.

>> Cathy: DO YOU THINK YOU'VE RIGHTED THE SHIP AT THIS POINT?

>> NO, I THINK WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE HEADWINDS.

WE HAVE SOME GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN CANCELED, SOME EDERAL GRANTS.

I KNOW IT'S GOING -- THERE ARE GOING TO BE CONTINUED PRESSURES.

WE JUST HEARD FROM THE ECONOMIST WHO WAS HERE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CONTINUED PRESSURES ON OUR EXPENSES, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CONTINUED PRESSURES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THAT'S GOING TO RIPPLE DOWN TO THE STATE.

SO WE ARE STILL BEING VERY CAUTIOUS.

>> Eric: KEEP US POSTED.

BEST OF LUCK.

>> GOOD LUCK.

>> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.

>> Eric: YOU BET.

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