School of Business > UPDATE > Fall 2002 > Article

A Career of Service to the Arts
Children's Museum CEO Named Distinguished Business Alumna

Kathy Dwyer Southern

The Distinguished Business Alumna Award was presented to Kathy Dwyer Southern, BBA '68, MA '72, at the School of Business Fall Banquet in October. For more than 25 years, she has provided leadership to major museums, cultural and philanthropic organizations, associations and government in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Currently, Southern is president and CEO of Capital Children's Museum, located in the heart of the nation's capital. She is establishing a vision, direction and new location for the 28-year-old museum, as it becomes the National Children's Museum.

The Fall Banquet was attended by more than 150 area alumni, friends, faculty, staff and members of the Dean's Advisory Board.

In presenting the award, Dean Michael M. Knetter said, "Kathy has done so much to promote the arts and humanities throughout her career, and in her most recent roles, has shown how innovative museums can inspire young people."

Southern earned her Bachelor's of Business Administration degree in Marketing and was the first student in the Master of Art in Arts Administration degree program, receiving her degree in 1972.

Prior to joining the Capital Children's Museum in 2001, Southern was president and CEO of Port Discovery--the children's museum in Baltimore, Maryland. She led the $35 million children's museum for five years.

Kathy Dwyer Southern was presented her award by Dean Michael M. Knetter.

Before that post, she served as the executive director of Montpelier, the 2,700-acre Virginia presidential estate of James Madison and a museum owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. From 1990 to 1994, she was executive director of the National Cultural Alliance. She has helped lead the American Association of Museums, the American Institute of Architects Foundation and the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation. Southern has taught courses in arts management at American University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music.

In accepting the award, Southern thanked the School of Business for several "gifts" including a "lifelong mentor, colleague and friend" in Professor Emeritus Al Prieve, who led the arts administration program from its beginnings in 1969 until his retirement in 2000. "My years here helped form the values I hold dear," Southern said, "of equality and tolerance; of fairness and honesty; of a level playing field (or as we say in the children's museum world, a level sandbox); of open and honest debate; of courage and kindness; and that each of us can and do make a difference."

Southern also has a long history of volunteer service. She has served nine years on the advisory board of the School of Business, including one term in 1986 as its president. Her most recent term began this fall. She also has been active with the Wisconsin Alumni Association. She served on the Executive Committee of WAA from 1992 to 2001 and served as its chair from 1999-2000.

The list of national boards and committees she contributes her time to is lengthy. She currently serves on the board of directors of both the American Association of Museums and the Council of Children's Museums.

Southern and her husband, Hugh Southern, live in Arlington, Virginia, with their son, Jaime Andres.

Since 1982, the Distinguished Business Alumnus Award has been given to recognize lifetime career accomplishments and outstanding public service. To be considered for the award, individuals must be graduates of the UW-Madison School of Business. Their professional accomplishments, leadership roles, contributions to their communities and involvement in public service are all considered in making the award decisions. If you would like to nominate an individual for the Distinguished Business Alumnus Award, please write to Wisconsin Business Alumni, 5151 Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706-1323 or call Assistant Dean of External Relations Pam Benjamin at 608/262-7426. A complete list of previous Distinguished Business Alumnus Award recipients can be found online at www.bus.wisc.edu/alumni.