When Bobbie Kilberg retired as CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council in 2020, she wondered what her next steps would be. “It came back very quickly to the Science Center.” Bobbie had been cheering from the sidelines since the earliest days, through the opening of the Children’s Science Center Lab and finally the start of the campaign to build the Northern Virginia Science Center. “Watching that evolution, I was so impressed with the leaders’ determination. My husband Bill and I decided we wanted to get more involved.” Since then, Bobbie has brought her volunteer leadership to the Science Center’s Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and Campaign Committee. We’re delighted to open a new chapter of partnership and welcome the Kilbergs as Element partners in the Launch the Future campaign.
“The Northern Virginia Science Center will enable children to explore and expand their minds into the wonders of science and technology and what it can mean for them as they grow up,” Bobbie shared. “This project is a statement to the community and the nation that Northern Virginia is a world-class technology center.”
The Kilbergs also recognize that the future Science Center will be a boon to the regional workforce pipeline. “It’s not just future scientists and engineers who will be encouraged and informed. It’s future electricians, farmers, HVAC technicians, tradespeople,” says Bill. “Everyone,” agrees Bobbie. “Those interested in the arts and humanities, too. It will open up creative possibilities, spark their curiosity about the universe.”
The Bobbie and Bill Kilberg family will be honored on the element Boron (B) on the periodic table installation in the new Science Center’s entrance hall. B for Bobbie and Bill! With five kids and seventeen grandkids, there will be a whole crowd of Kilberg family coming to visit. And while seeing their grandparents’ names on display will be special, Bobbie emphasizes there’s something more important: “I want them to experience the awe and excitement and curiosity.”
Thank you to Bobbie and Bill Kilberg and their family, and to all of the amazing supporters coming together to build possibilities. To start a conversation about how you can get involved, contact Jenn Brunner at advancementdirector@childsci.org.
