A longtime Bainbridge Island resident and veteran of nonprofit organizations will take over as the new executive director of  Kids Discovery Museum, the museum announced Wednesday.

Susie Burdick will start in her new position on Jan. 2.

Burdick comes to KiDiMu with an extensive background in nonprofit leadership and fundraising, and her background spans the arts and health and human services sectors on the local, regional and national levels.

Museum officials said Burdick will work closely with the museum’s board, staff and volunteers to further extend hands-on learning opportunities to Puget Sound families and expand the organization’s services and programs.

“We are very excited to welcome Susie on the KiDiMu team,” said Sonya Marinoni, president of the museum’s board.

“She brings the perfect blend of diverse experience and enthusiasm that will be invaluable to help KiDiMu continue to grow successfully, build partnerships and offer educational enrichment to families on and off the island,” Marinoni added.

Burdick has been involved in nonprofit management in the Pacific Northwest for more than 35 years. She spent the last 15 years in health and human services, with 12 years as the chief executive officer at the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center in Seattle. Before her CEO post, she spent three years in leadership roles at United Way of King County.

Burdick has also shared her skills and expertise with several nonprofits’ boards and committees, including the Alliance for Nonprofits, Northwest Development Officers Association, the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, and the National Association of Speech and Hearing Centers.

She is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and a committed Rotarian.

In 2010, she was recognized with the Professional Achievement Award by the Northwest Development Officers Association.

Burdick also has close ties to the Bainbridge Island community and has been a resident of the island for more than 30 years.

Prior to her nonprofit development and consulting work in Seattle, she had a long and successful career in theatre directing, choreographing and running arts organizations for adults, youth and children in the United States and Russia. She was artistic director of Bainbridge Performing Arts for 15 years, where she and the late Diane Gilman founded the island’s Russia Connection.

“Joining the Kids Discovery Museum team is such an honor and I’m so excited about this wonderful organization,” Burdick said.

“Working in the community in which I’ve lived for over 30 years, and with a focus on children, their education and development, is a great fit. Quite frankly, KiDiMu ‘had me’ from the moment I saw Talk like a Pirate Day on its Web site,” she said.

Burdick will replace Susan Sivitz, who has successfully served as the museum’s executive director since 2009 and is leaving for Boston to pursue her education and complete coursework at Harvard University.

Museum officials said sivitz was instrumental in completing the capital campaign and managing the transition from the original rented space the KiDiMu-owned, permanent home in the Island Gateway.