Today's Hours
10:00am - 5:00pm There’s always more to discover!
At The Discovery, dedication meets passion in the form of Adam Wiley, an 11-year museum veteran whose journey from Assistant Camp Educator to Senior Development Officer truly embodies the meaning of commitment and purpose within our organization.
Before finding his place in the nonprofit world, Adam lived up, down, and all around the West Coast and beyond. Winnemucca, Portland, and Jackpot, a Northern Nevada Border town, have all been home to him at some point or another, but Reno will always be his home. After moving to and attending Kindergarten in Twin Falls, Idaho, his family moved back to Reno where he attended Greenbrae Elementary, Dilworth Middle, and Sparks High School before eventually graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in secondary education. Before working at The Discovery, Adam did home theater installation and home repair for 10 years, with a two-year stint doing standup comedy in Los Angeles along the way.
When it comes to his work at The Discovery, Adam has become the driving force behind corporate giving and special events in the time he’s been here. Like many individuals working for nonprofits, he fell in love with the process and found that it gave him a bigger purpose in life. After working as an assistant camp educator for six months, he took a full-time position as a floor supervisor which eventually led to his role as senior development officer.
“I sleep well at night knowing I have made a difference for so many people in the community. To say the work is rewarding would be an understatement.”
As a key member of our development team, Adam brings different ideas to the table every day for both Social Science, our adults-only science exploration event series, and Chemistry of the Cocktail, our annual fundraiser. Adam’s work on Chemistry of the Cocktail year after year has proved to be outstanding at the very least and is crucial to the support the event garners every November. When he isn’t out raising money for The Discovery or meeting with different Social Science sponsors, you might find him collaborating with other staff members to involve them in the process of event planning and giving them fun, unusual tasks to complete.
In his free time, Adam enjoys spending all the time he can with his wife and two boys. When he has a minute to himself, he also enjoys playing guitar, watching sports, and keeping an eye out for the perfect project car to rebuild. Adam has built a few race cars over the years and hopes one day for a chance to work on one with his kids. If you haven’t had the pleasure yet, be sure to say hello at the next Social Science or Chemistry of the Cocktail and thank Adam for his incredible work!