Interim Vanderbilt Director Appointed; Looks to Cell Phone Tower, New Projector for Revenue

Vanderbilt Museum Director Carol Hart has resigned and the Board of Trustees has appointed an interim replacement.

A retired county budget officer, Lance Reinheimer, has been appointed interim director of Hart's resignation, according to a press release.

Hart had been the museum's executive director for the past three years. A national search is underway to replace her.

Reinheimer, former assistant director of the Suffolk County Legislature's Budget Review Office, began work today. 

Legislator Jon Cooper, D-Lloyd Harbor, called Reinheimer's appointment "brilliant."

"Lance has worked closely with the Vanderbilt Board of Trustees and administration through some difficult years," Cooper said. "He is the perfect person to transition the museum into this new phase of renovation, rejuvenation and rehabilitation."

The museum has several major projects underway that are aimed at increasing revenue and improving the museum experience, Reinheimer said.

Most important is the installation of a new state-of-the-art star projector for the planetarium to replace the current GOTO projector, which was installed in the planetarium when it opened in 1971. Suffolk County has approved the funds and has entered into a contract to purchase a new projector.

Another revenue-producing project in progress is the proposed installation of a cell-phone tower on the estate grounds.

Presumably, Reinheimer will have to deal with the ramifications from the roof collapsing two weeks ago due to the build up of snow that had accumulated.

Reinheimer was assistant director of the Suffolk County Legislature's Budget Review Office for the past six years, supervising a staff of 14 professionals, prior to his retirement in 2010. 

During his 21-year tenure in budget review, he was responsible for overseeing the Vanderbilt Museum's operating and capital budgets and, therefore, comes to the museum with extensive knowledge of its operations.