HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Cosmosphere announced Wednesday that five new board members will be joining the museum and science center in 2019.

Three new Governing Board members — Mike Pritchett, Debra Teufel and Tonya Witherspoon — will help oversee the organization’s operations, while former astronaut Dr. Steven Hawley and Kent Longenecker will be joining the Foundation Board to help build and manage endowed funds that support the Cosmosphere and its programs. Rick Staab will move from his previous position on the Governing Board to the Foundation Board.

Pritchett is the Executive Vice President and Manager for Correspondent Bank Services at First National Bank of Hutchinson. Teufel is President and CEO of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, where she oversees the Chamber, Economic Development and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Witherspoon is the current Director of Commercial Ventures and Applied Innovation at Wichita State University.