MANSFIELD – Fred Boll announced Tuesday that he will step down Aug. 1 as executive director at the Buckeye Imagination Museum.
Boll’s decision reflects a personal milestone, as he prepares to welcome his first grandchild and assumes a new leadership role closer to family.
“The Buckeye Imagination Museum has been more than just a job — it’s been a calling, and this community has been my extended family,” Boll said.
The Buckeye Imagination Museum extends its heartfelt gratitude to him for more than a decade of exceptional leadership and steadfast dedication to the museum and the broader Richland County community, it stated in a press release.
“We wish Fred and his family the very best in this exciting new chapter,” Buckeye Imagination Museum stated.
Boll began his journey with the museum — then known as the Little Buckeye Children’s Museum — in 2013. From the outset, he brought a visionary spirit that spurred a period of transformative growth, the organization stated in a press release.
Under his guidance, the museum rebranded as the Buckeye Imagination Museum, expanded its mission, and emerged as a regional leader in play-based education.
Among his most notable accomplishments: A successful $4.5 million capital campaign, with 96% of funds reinvested in the local economy.
The grand opening of a new, accessible facility in downtown Mansfield in 2022.
The 2023 unveiling of an expanded second floor, welcoming teens and adults into the museum’s imaginative spaces.
“Fred’s leadership has been transformational. He has laid a foundation for continued growth and community connection that will serve us for many years to come,” Board President Barrett Thomas said.
In the coming weeks, museum leadership will share the next steps in the search for Boll’s successor.
About Buckeye Imagination Museum
Founded as “Little Buckeye Children’s Museum” in April 2011, Buckeye Imagination Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and today is located in downtown Mansfield’s Imagination District.
At Buckeye Imagination Museum, we understand that exploration and play are critical to child development, and we know that play benefits children physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually.
We strive to offer the children and families we serve a unique open-ended and self-directed play experience that promotes creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, social-emotional skills, motor skills, parent-child interaction, and more.