Join us for our December On-Air Summit on Wednesday, December 11 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Wichita. We’re excited to have three incredible local leaders join us on our panel, including Jim Remar, CEO of the Cosmosphere, Ben Sauceda, President & CEO of the Kansas Aviation Museum and Adam Smith, President & CEO of the Exploration Place.
During the event, this panel of executives will share how their organizations are investing in education and STEM to inspire young aviation enthusiasts. In addition, they will provide updates for their respective organizations.
Panelists:
Jim Remar, CEO of the Cosmosphere
Ben Sauceda, President & CEO of Kansas Aviation Museum
Adam Smith, President & CEO of Exploration Place
Event Details:
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
DoubleTree by Hilton Wichita Airport (2098 S. Airport Rd., Wichita)
Tickets are $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Tables of 8 can be purchased for $500.
Lunch and beverages will be provided.
Thank you to Textron Aviation for sponsoring this luncheon!
SPEAKER BIOS
Jim Remar
A recognized expert in the areas of museum administration, strategic planning and space artifact preservation and exhibition, Jim Remar began his museum career in 1997.
He joined the Cosmosphere as curator in 2000. After eight years at the Cosmosphere, Remar joined the team at Gregory, Inc as Vice President of Operations. In 2012, Remar returned to the Cosmosphere as President/COO becoming CEO of the organization January 2018.
A variety of organizations have benefitted from Remar’s consulting expertise including the National Air and Space Museum, NASA and Bezos Expedition. He has also served as an editor for several print publications as well as consulted for several feature length films, documentaries and exhibits. Remar received his bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science from Washburn University; his master’s degree in museum studies with a minor in history from the University of Nebraska and his mini-MBA from Wichita State University.
The Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum is an internationally recognized institution that excels at applied, hands-on education and space artifact exhibition. Maintaining the largest combined collection of US and former Soviet space artifacts, the Cosmosphere tells the definitive story of the Space Race unlike any museum. Named an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in 1998, the Cosmosphere maintains status as an industry leader in the fields of exhibit development, artifact replication and applied education.
Ben Sauceda
Ben is a lifelong Kansan, who has spent his entire life in the Wichita region. He married his wife, Alysa, in May of 2016, and in February 2024, after over 2 years of foster care, they adopted their little guy.
Ben is the President/CEO of the Kansas Aviation Museum (KAM) in Wichita, KS, starting this role in October 2021. Since leading the organization, KAM has seen growth in attendance, revenue, perception, and development. Ben gets the opportunity to serve as an ambassador for the historic role aviation has played in Kansas, and its impact across the world. Additionally, they are working to expand their role in helping inspire the next generation of aviation/aerospace workers through STEM Learning.
Ben was elected to the Park City City Council in November of 2017. He volunteers with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on the Visionary of the Year Campaign, serving as Co-Chair of the 2024 campaign and Chair of the 2025 Campaign. He also volunteers at his church as the song leader and Deacon, and enjoys promoting the community to anyone and everyone. Wichita, Park City and our region are a true showcase of what is good. Ben is an avid Chicago Cubs fan, who grew up watching Harry Carey on WGN and falling in love with the game. In his spare time, he likes to attempt playing golf, and spending time with his family and friends.
Adam Smith
Born and raised in the UK, Adam obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Modern History from the University of Leeds, England and a diploma in Museum Studies from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
In 1995 he was appointed to lead Scotland’s National Museum of Flight, located on a historic World War II airfield near Edinburgh. During his tenure the Museum saw a five-fold increase in attendance and received the country’s highest accolade for excellence in tourism.
Adam came to the United States in 2001 to run the EAA AirVenture Museum, a world-class facility in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, that houses over 200 historic aircraft. He was also responsible for programming EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s largest air show, with over 700,000 annual attendees.
From 2013 to 2017 Adam was Executive Vice President with the Commemorative Air Force, the world’s largest flying Museum, operating 170 vintage military planes. While there he spearheaded a $4.5 million campaign to save and restore That’s All Brother, the lead aircraft in the D-Day invasion. From 2017 to 2019 Adam headed the Comic-Con Museum located in Balboa Park, San Diego, and associated with the world’s largest pop culture convention.
In November 2019 Adam moved to Wichita to become President/CEO at Exploration Place. Since his arrival, Exploration Place has achieved record annual attendance of 409,000 (2023) and embarked on a $27 million expansion project due to be completed in 2025.
Smith is an instrument-rated pilot, pinball enthusiast and an avid fan of his soccer team, Burnley. He lives in Rose Hill.