Sarah Goforth

Connector, Environmentalist, Event planner, Marketer, Public servant, Writer/Editor

With a collection of more than 128 million objects, a community of 400 researchers, and seven million visitors a year, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) has a vast, profound story to tell. In her role as Chief Communications Officer, Sarah helps tell this story by overseeing the museum’s public affairs, media partnerships, and digital strategy. Sarah spent 10 years as a science writer and digital media journalist; as senior producer and editor for Discovery Communications she oversaw editorial strategy for the Webby Award-winning Discovery News. In 2009, she joined the nonprofit Howard Hughes Medical Institute to manage its publications unit and establish its marketing program. There she was part of a small team that launched HHMI’s documentary production company, Tangled Bank Studios, and its first three films, including the Emmy Award-winning Your Inner Fish for PBS. Sarah has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hendrix College and a master’s degree in science journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in Annapolis, MD, with her husband, kids, dogs, and books.

Making space for blue sky, big idea, might-fail basic research.

Earth's past holds clues for its future.

branding & identity, digital media, economics of news, interactive media, marketing, mobile strategy, natural history museums, OTT industry, science communication, UX design

handling birds of prey / large reptiles / difficult people