Arthur native, attorney, and Coastal Carolina conservationist, Rikki Parker, officially assumes Executive Director role at Children’s Museum of Illinois

Arthur native, attorney, and Coastal Carolina conservationist, Rikki Parker, officially assumes Executive Director role at Children’s Museum of Illinois

(DECATUR, Illinois) –After a successful nationwide search prompted by previous director, Abby
Koester’s departure, Rikki Parker has been named Executive Director at Children’s Museum of Illinois
(CMIL).
Parker is an Arthur, Illinois native with ties to central Illinois. Parker will relocate with her husband,
Jordan, to Decatur from New Orleans in late June 2022 and are delighted to have purchased a home on
Millikin Place. Parker plans to invest her time and talents not only in the Children’s Museum, but also in
the city of Decatur, Macon County, and surrounding region.
Parker graduated from University of Evansville in 2009 and obtained her Juris Doctorate from Louisiana
State University in 2013. Parker practiced law for 2 years following law school, representing clients in
federal court. In 2016, Parker began her career in non-profit organizations and public policy. She
previously served as Senior Program Director at the Coastal Conservation League, where she has
worked since 2016. At the Coastal Conservation League, Parker advocated for policies addressing
climate change, plastic pollution, land protection, urban sprawl, and energy efficiency. Parker plans to
bring her talents in policy development, fundraising, event management, and community relations to the
Children’s Museum of Illinois. Parker sees immense opportunity to pair conservation and sustainability
efforts with the Children’s Museum.
Rachel Strode, Chair of the Museum’s Board of Directors, is excited about the depth and breadth of
experiences that Parker brings to CMIL. “We were seeking a candidate who would be able to position the
museum strongly in the post-pandemic landscape and bring strategy and business acumen to our
planning and execution of projects. Parker definitely fits these needs.”
Over the next year, the Children’s Museum of Illinois plans to develop a new strategic plan and install
several new exhibits to include a new, long-awaited central climber and water table feature.
Parker has some innovative and creative plans of her own. “The Children’s Museum is already an
important fixture in Decatur with a strong reputation. I’m eager to work together with residents, institutions and businesses to ensure the Museum thrives for decades to come. As an avid gardener, I hope to expand exhibits beyond the Museum walls, exploring the possibility of planting a pollinator garden, restoring native prairie grasses, and allowing visitors greater opportunities to interact with nature. With community buy in, the possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to get started.”