(KAIR)--Following a national search, and prior to an expected active Amelia Earhart Festival weekend, a new Executive Director is named for the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum.

According to a release, Mindi Love Pendergraft has been selected to both oversee the museum, which opened its doors with a grand opening in April, and to serve as Executive Director of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, which has oversight of the museum. The release says Love Pendergraft previously served as the executive director of the Johnson County Museum where she, according to the release, “led the transformation of a former mid-century modern bowling alley and ice-skating center into a new cultural arts hub for Johnson County, Kansas.”

The release formally announces Love Pendergraft's new role, which she began March 27, prior to the grand opening, and has, since that time, “quickly begun expanding museum partnerships, educational programs and community engagement,” all the while welcoming more than 9,000 visitors from across Atchison, the Midwest, and across the country.”

Karen Seaberg, founder and board president of the Foundation and Museum, cites Love Pendergraft's three-decade career in museum and nonprofit management in the release, saying that experience,“along with her innovative leadership that is well suited to reflect the spirit of Amelia and [the Foundation's] guiding mission to inspire future generations in the pursuit of flight,” makes the Museum and Foundation “fortunate” to place Love Pendergraft into the roles of leadership.

Love Pendegraft calls her new roles “an incredible honor,” adding, in the release, that its “a truly unique opportunity [through the Museum] to inspire young people, especially, with Amelia- life story while exploring possibilities for their own— including careers in aviation and STEM and other future career paths.”

The formal announcement of Love Pendegraft's selection comes just prior to the weekend's upcoming Amelia Earhart Festival, held annually to honor the aviator who called Atchison her childhood home.

The Hangar Museum, located at Atchison's Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport, will serve as one of several locations for festival activities, including the hosting of Earhart impersonator, and San Diego Ninety-Nines member, Sydney Schumksy's meet and greet Saturday afternoon from 2 until 4:00. Prior to that on Saturday, Boy Scout Troop 86 will host a pancake breakfast from 8 until 10 Saturday morning, at the airport, while a meet and greet will be held from 9 to 11:00 for the Wing Walking team that will perform at Atchison's riverfront Saturday evening, prior to the closing fireworks spectacular over the Missouri River.