Kids Discovery Factory Welcomes Two New Board Members

Kids Discovery Factory (KDF) is pleased to welcome Eric Prickel and John Christie to its Board of Directors. Both bring extensive professional leadership, strong connections to the community, and a shared commitment to creating opportunities for children to explore, create, and learn.

Eric Prickel

Eric Prickel brings more than a decade of executive leadership experience in the automotive industry to the Kids Discovery Factory Board. He currently serves as Customer Quality Champion for Valeo’s General Motors account, bringing valuable experience in leadership, problem-solving, quality, and organizational governance.

Prickel looks forward to supporting KDF as the organization expands access to hands-on STEAM learning opportunities for children and families throughout southeastern Indiana and the tri-state region.

Outside of his professional career, Prickel is actively involved in his community and enjoys coaching youth sports, farming, and spending time with his wife, Megan, and their three children.

John Christie

John Christie brings more than 22 years of engineering and product design experience from his career with Hill-Rom and Baxter. Throughout his career designing medical products, Christie has been named on more than 50 patents. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Akron and an MBA from Ball State University.

Christie also has deep roots in the Batesville community, where his children, Kaitlyn and Jacob, grew up. Over the years, he was actively involved in their activities, coaching baseball, basketball, and soccer, serving as a Destination Imagination team manager, and assisting with set design for school plays.

Christie is excited to bring his engineering, design, and creative problem-solving experience to KDF, particularly as the museum develops engaging, hands-on exhibits that encourage children to experiment, invent, and discover.

“We are thrilled to welcome Eric and John to the Kids Discovery Factory Board of Directors,” said Daryl Werner, Board President of Kids Discovery Factory. “They each bring a tremendous combination of professional expertise, community involvement, and a genuine interest in creating opportunities for young people. As we prepare to open our permanent museum, their leadership and perspectives will be incredibly valuable in helping KDF grow into a lasting resource for children and families throughout our region.”

The new board members join Kids Discovery Factory during a transformational period for the organization as exhibit development, fabrication, and installation continue on its new three-story children’s museum in downtown Batesville. The museum will provide hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, art, math, creativity, and imaginative play while serving children, families, schools, and community organizations from across southeastern Indiana and the surrounding tri-state region.