New Addition to Accreditation Commission

At the association's annual meeting in Chicago, the AAM Board of Directors confirmed the appointment of Bonnie Styles, director of the Illinois State Museum, to the Accreditation Commission. Her term runs through 2013.

Styles has been with the Illinois State Museum since 1977, serving as director since 2006. While at the museum she has served in several capacities, including as chair and curator of anthropology, director of sciences and associate museum director of science and education. As a result, she has been directly engaged in all aspects of museum operation, from administration to oversight and implementation of education, collections, exhibition and research programs. In addition to the flagship museum and Research and Collections Center in Springfield, she oversees the five other facilities that make up the Illinois State Museum system.

Styles is active in and has served as an officer of many national and regional professional societies and nonprofit organizations in the fields of science, archaeology and anthropology. Currently the secretary-treasurer of the Association of Science Museum Directors and president of the Midwest Archaeological Conference, she has been an active site reviewer for AAM's museum assessment and accreditation programs for several years. She has published and presented extensively, directed numerous competitive grant-funded projects and received many awards and honors, including election as a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Styles holds doctoral and master's degrees in anthropology from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University.

The nine members of the Accreditation Commission, appointed by the AAM Board for a maximum of two six-year terms, make all accreditation award decisions. The commission comprises senior museum professionals with significant experience in all areas of museum management and operations who have demonstrated leadership capabilities and are actively engaged in advancing the museum field. These professionals must either work at an accredited museum or have played an integral leadership role in the accreditation process at another institution. Commissioners volunteer their time and expertise to support and strengthen the museum field, contributing approximately 40 days of service each year. Visit the AAM website for information about accreditation as well as a list of current commissioners and accredited institutions.