The construction of the Children's Museum of Rock County is said to be completed by this September. They announced that they hired an operations manager, Christopher Chun-Seeley.
The construction of the Children's Museum of Rock County is said to be completed by this September. They announced that they hired an operations manager, Christopher Chun-Seeley.
JANESVILLE– The Children’s Museum of Rock County has hired Janesville native Christopher Chun-Seeley as the new operations manager for the children’s museum that remains slated to open in downtown Janesville this September.
Christopher Chun-Seeley
The museum says in an announcement and a bio that Chun-Seeley was born and raised in Janesville. He graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in psychology and criminal justice. At the university, he lead a program focused un boosting social skills and reducing criminal recidivism in youths.
Chun-Seeley holds a master’s degree in social work with focus on crisis work. He has spent time in Washington D.C. as program director for the American Psychiatric Association Foundation.
He published “The Mental Health Professionals Guide to Their Role in the Criminal Justice System,” and supported over 500 counties in addressing how their local jail systems criminalized mental illness.
He moved back to Wisconsin after his son was born and became the Crisis Stabilization Manager for Journey Mental Health Center in Madison. As part of his work there, Chun-Seeley supervised youth case managers and crisis outreach.
The Children’s Museum said in a statement that Chun-Seeley’s role is to help build guest experiences and grow the impact that learning through play can have on Rock County’s youth.
Construction is still progressing at the former First National Bank building at 100 W. Milwaukee St., despite minor construction delays that museum leaders noted in March.
In January, John Westphal, president of the museum’s board, said the project had minor construction delays tied to the age of the building — but that those delays have not derailed the project’s overall timeline.
The museum board has worked with Haizlip Studios, a national children’s museum exhibit designer, and two fabricators, Boss Display and Dimensional Innovations. The forthcoming exhibits are more interactive, movement-based and creative than typical adult museum exhibits, Westphal has said.
The Children’s Museum of Rock County will have four main hyperlocal exhibits, focused on agriculture, local businesses, the Rock River and innovation.
In January, Kent Anderson, the museum’s executive director, and Westphal said they’ve been working on creating operating procedures for the new building, researching ticketing systems, determining staff roles, writing job descriptions, touring other children’s museums and other fundamental tasks.
A capital campaign for the museum construction ended in August 2025, just shy of $15 million, but Anderson and Westphal said in January the museum would continue to fundraise, while pivoting toward funding operations, programs and staff.
