This “Faces of ECI” profile focuses on Sr. Project Manager, Dan Arnold, who has been with Exhibit Concepts since 2019. From nationally recognized museums to experiential education on wheels, Dan is opening up in our latest “Faces of ECI” profile.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND EXPLAIN YOUR ROLE.
My name is Dan Arnold, and I started at Exhibit Concepts in 2019. I’m a Sr. Project Manager here and my main role is to provide leadership to all of the projects that I’m assigned with: working with the clients, working with the designers, the production, the general contractors, to get our projects done in a timely manner, to a high level of quality, and hitting our budget mark.
YOUR MOST IMPACTFUL CLIENT MOMENT.
Some of our clients come to us with small budgets, and it’s really important to us to try to maximize their dollars and give them a great product. One of our clients came to us and they wanted to create a literacy vehicle to go into the neighborhoods. We worked really hard to give them a really great vehicle to work with. And I’ll never forget the superintendent’s response when they saw the design, the final design that they knew that they could afford. She said, “I never thought we could have afforded something so beautiful as that.” That really meant a lot to me. It’s great to work with some of these clients that, again, just have a smaller budget, and just see the appreciation that they have for the work that we do, and the quality and the value that we give them.
WHAT MAKES WORKING WITHIN EXPLORATION ZONES WORTHWHILE?
I have a front row seat to it; my wife works in the education field, and I know how hard educators work. They don’t get paid enough. They’re called to it, and they love what they do. And so just working with teachers, administrators, superintendents, all the different types of people or roles that are involved with the educational process; just being an advocate for them, coming alongside of them and helping them stretch their hard-earned dollars or their few dollars to give them a maximum experience for the educational process.
WHY DO YOU THINK EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IS IMPORTANT?
The experiential and immersive education processes, as I have seen… it really helps put them further ahead of their peer group.
WHAT IS YOUR WISH FOR THE CHILDREN AND EDUCATORS THAT USE THESE EXPERIENTIAL SPACES?
My wish and hope for the educators and kids that use this is, first of all, they realize the value of what they have and that it that it is more than just an indoor playground, but that it unlocks, new ways of thinking, new paradigms of teaching, but then also just continues to unlock kids minds as they are exposed, to just the breadth and width of an immersive environment.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THEME, AND WHY?
Oh, my favorite theme is Going Places. Having had the benefit of growing up internationally and in many places in my life, I know the value of being exposed to different cultures. It just really expands a human being.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE…
FAVORITE FOOD?
My favorite food is Mexican.
FAVORITE TV SHOW OR MOVIE?
You know, I don’t have a favorite TV show, but I do favor shows or movies about great people who have done great things. Winston Churchill, William Wilberforce; those are my heroes.
FAVORITE BAND OR MUSICIAN?
I don’t have a favorite band or musician, but I have a favorite style of music and that is early bluegrass.
WHAT ARE YOUR SECRET TALENTS?
It’s a secret.
WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL PLACE TO LIVE?
It’s on a big lake filled with fish, where it’s peaceful and quiet.
WHAT IS A SUPERPOWER YOU WISH YOU HAD?
I wish I had the power to just help people in today’s day and age who are just stressed and fearful, just to be able to move past that in their life. I don’t know what you would call that; but to just help people.
WHO IS SOMEONE YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH? PAST OR PRESENT.
I would love to have dinner with Winston Churchill.
