Joseph Govednik

About me...

 

I have over 20 years of experience working within business, heritage, and educational industries. Making connections between communities and organizations and encouraging people to get

excited about our local heritage has always driven my enthusiasm. I have instructed thousands of students, launched a private business, and directed events with thousands of attendees. I am passionate about public engagement, heritage preservation and environmental awareness.

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Before moving to Washington, I lived most of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area. My first taste of Pacific Northwest living was during undergraduate studies at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. Upon completing a bachelor’s degree, I moved back to the Bay Area to pursue graduate degrees in Anthropology, Business Administration, and Museum Studies. I also started a business and taught multiple courses at the college level, particularly Sociology, Anthropology, and Economics, and ultimately found my passion for museum sciences.

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This shift in my career led me to Washington in 2011 where I accepted the Museum Curator position at the Foss Waterway Seaport, Tacoma’s maritime museum and marine science

education center. I have taken up sailing, kayaking, and other water-related interests with the convenient access Western Washington has to the water. Most recently my duties are serving as

the Museum Director for the Cowlitz County Historical Museum, a partnership between Cowlitz County and the Cowlitz County Historical Society. I am married to my wife Erin, originally a

resident of Olympia, and we are proud parents of our daughter, Nora. I consider it a privilege to live in such a remarkable place here in Washington State-there are truly few places I have lived that can compare to the beauty, outdoor access, water activities, and majestic snow-capped mountains as I have experienced here.