Traci joins the museum after 18 years of service in the Akron Public School system and most recently as program officer at GAR Foundation, the largest private charitable foundation in Akron. Buckner is the founding instructional leader of the National Inventors Hall of Fame School…Center for STEM Learning and most recently served as Director of Specialty Programs.

She is also an author and has co-authored the book STEM Leadership, a guide on creating a STEM culture in a school or district. Prior to her educational career, she worked in corporate marketing and sales. Buckner has served as a guest panelist at the Athena Leadership Forum, The Ashland University Leadership Academy Seminar, and the Akron Roundtable. She is a member of Leadership Akron and currently serves on the United Way of Summit County Board of Directors. She was featured in Akron Life magazine as one of the city’s 2015 change makers and was a recipient of the Women of STEM Rising Amongst the Stars award from the Ohio Black Women’s Leadership Caucus. Buckner received a Master’s in education from John Carroll University and Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from The Ohio State University. She also earned an instructional leadership administrative certificate from Ashland University. She resides in Akron with her husband, Tobin and their two sons.