Kirk Johnson

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has appointed Kirk Johnson as its new president and chief executive officer. Johnson, a paleontologist previously associated with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, takes the helm of one of the largest natural history museums in the United States, based in Denver, Colorado. The appointment was announced via press release, with further details about his plans and transition timeline not yet widely reported.

Kirk Johnson, the Sant Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, is leaving to take the top job at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The move, announced by the Smithsonian, marks a return for Johnson to the Denver institution, and the announcement has drawn attention from science and museum communities tracking major leadership changes at leading natural history museums.