10/12/2026
🎉 Congratulations to our Employee of the Month, Mark Watlington!
For the past 3½ years, Mark has helped create memorable experiences for Museum guests while supporting the volunteers who make so much of our work possible.
Inspired by his own childhood visits to the Creative Discovery Museum, Mark joined CDM because he wanted to be part of creating those same meaningful experiences for today's children. As our Volunteers Manager, he especially enjoys working with community volunteers and mentoring teen leaders during such an important stage of their lives.
One of Mark's proudest accomplishments has been helping organize Turquoise Trail from the very beginning. Bringing volunteers from across Chattanooga together to support children who are often overlooked on Halloween has made the event especially meaningful to him.
"CDM is such a fun-focused, collaborative environment! We make sure everything we do is kid-centric, which means we're always focused on what brought us together."
Mark hopes guests leave thinking only about the fun they had, not the work that went into it. Behind the scenes, he helps make those memorable Museum moments possible by coordinating volunteers, fostering community partnerships, and ensuring guests have the support they need to make the most of their visit.
Thank you, Mark, for your dedication to our volunteers, our guests, and our mission. Your work helps make CDM a welcoming place where children and families can explore, play, innovate, and create every day. 💛
Mark Watlington
