Christofer Nelson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), a network of science and technology centers and museums, and allied organizations, engaging more than 110 million members of the public annually across North America and in almost 50 countries. ASTC is dedicated to the vision of increased understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people.
Before coming to ASTC, Christofer served as the Assistant Director for Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) where he worked to help Federal agencies tap the knowledge, creativity, and ingenuity of the American people to advance scientific research, develop new technologies, improve service delivery, and solve complex challenges. Christofer has a background in management organizational operations, including leadership development and organizational design. From 2009-2011, Christofer implemented the Obama Administration’s Presidential Appointee Leadership Program.
Christofer previously served as Program Director and as a member of the research faculty in Georgetown University’s Program on Science in the Public Interest. Christofer has consulted with multiple philanthropic, government, and private-sector organizations to design and deploy open and community-driven programs that increase public engagement in solving pressing national and global challenges