For Immediate Release
ARLINGTON, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, today announced that six leading professionals from the museum field have been newly elected to the board of directors, serving three-year terms beginning this May. The incoming board members are:
Rebekah Beaulieu, Ph.D., was named Louise Taft Semple President & CEO of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, OH, in 2022. She has worked in museums for over two decades, previously serving as the director of the Florence Griswold Museum in Connecticut, as associate director of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Maine, and as an assistant professor of Art History & Museum Studies at Connecticut College. Rebekah recently concluded a five-year term on the AAM Accreditation Commission and a four-year term as a council member of the American Association for State and Local History, where she served as treasurer.
Ellen Ferguson is the Director of Community Relations at the Burke Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Seattle, WA. She has worked at the museum in a variety of capacities since receiving her MA in Museum Studies at the University of Washington and has played an active role in the museum profession at the state, regional, and national levels—including with AAM—for decades. Ellen previously served as president of the Washington Museum Association board and on the board of the Western Museum Association, where she was a founding member of the Equity Committee and received the Director’s Chair Award for outstanding achievements in the museum profession. Ellen currently serves as board co-chair of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian American Experience in Seattle.
Lori Fogarty has served as executive director of the Oakland Museum of California since 2006. Throughout her tenure, Lori has spearheaded OMCA’s efforts to place the visitor at the center of the museum experience and focus the institution’s efforts around community engagement and social impact. She has received major recognition in the museum and nonprofit field as the recipient of the John Cotton Dana Award for Leadership from AAM and the Hank Russo Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Prior to her current position, Lori worked as executive director of the Bay Area Discovery Museum and senior deputy director of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Hassan Najjar is the executive director of Foothills Art Center in Golden, CO. Previously, he served as the executive director of the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Tennessee and held positions as an educator at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Tennessee and Rome Area History Museum in Georgia. Hassan is active in the business and cultural community in Colorado, serving on several boards and commissions. With 20 years of experience in the museum profession, he’s utilized mission-focused thinking and community input to create memorable museum experiences for learners of all ages.
Jennifer Ortiz is the director of the Utah Historical Society in Salt Lake City, where she oversees the building of the state’s first dedicated state history museum, the Museum of Utah, opening in 2026. In addition to her state-wide work, Jennifer serves at a national level as board member for the National Federation of State Humanities Councils and locally as board member for the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Previously, Jennifer held positions at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Boston Museum of Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Jay Xu, Ph.D., has served director and CEO of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco since 2008. He is the first Chinese American director at a major art museum in the United States. In 2015, Jay became the first Asian American museum director elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2022, he was appointed by the US Congress to serve as one of the eight commissioners on the Congressional Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. Jay has previously held positions at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Seattle Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Shanghai Museum.
The board also welcomes four returning board members for their second terms (2024-2027):
- Dina Bailey, CEO, Mountain Top Vision
- Carole Charnow, President & CEO, Boston Children’s Museum
- Ann Friedman, Founder & CEO, Planet Word
- Linda Harrison, Director & CEO, The Newark Museum of Art
In addition to Board Chair Jorge Zamanillo, Founding Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino, and Immediate Past Chair Chevy Humphrey, President & CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago—who both serve in their current board leadership roles through May 2025—the Alliance board announced the following officer appointments:
- Devon Akmon, Director, Michigan State University Museum and CoLab Studio, as Vice Chair and Secretary (2024-2025)
- Linda Harrison, Director & CEO, The Newark Museum of Art, as Treasurer (2024-2025)
See the full list of the Alliance’s board of directors.
The Alliance is grateful to the board members whose service ends this year: Nathan Richie, Director, Golden History Museum and Park (who served as Vice Chair & Secretary from 2023-2024) and Karol Wight, President & Executive Director, Corning Museum of Glass. Their leadership has been instrumental in fulfilling the Alliance’s mission and strategic goals.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.
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Press Contact:
Natanya Khashan
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