Washington, DC, 5/3/2007 - The American Association of Museums (AAM), representing the nation's entire museum community, today announced the selection of prominent educator, scientist and Minneapolis civic leader Ford W. Bell to the position of President and CEO. Bell brings to AAM an impressive record of scholarship, commitment to community engagement, proven leadership and a passion for museums as places of lifelong learning and enjoyment. Mr. Bell's appointment comes after an extensive search and is effective immediately. He starts full-time June 1.
   
"Ford Bell, our new President and CEO, comes to us with a breadth of experience in our field combined with a vision grounded in public service and scholarship," said Irene Hirano, AAM Board Chair and President and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum. "He is quite simply the right leader at the right time as AAM looks to the next 100 years and the complex challenges facing our members nationwide."
  
Bell succeeds Edward H. Able, Jr. who retired last year after 20 years of service.
 
Bell has more than 30 years experience as a nonprofit executive, board chair, donor, trustee, educator and scientist.  He was previously President and CEO of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, a prominent clinical cardiovascular research organization, and one of the largest providers of community heart health education in the United States. He has also served as a trustee of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. While board chair Mr. Bell helped raise $103 million as part of the Institute's "Bring Art to Life" capital campaign. Among the boards he has served are the Special Projects Foundation, The Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Foundation and the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History.

Most recently Bell was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Oncology at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2006 Bell was a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

"I look forward to working with an outstanding board of directors, a rock-solid organization and an exceptionally talented staff to create an even stronger platform for AAM to advance America's museums," said Bell. "Today, more than ever, museums are an integral part of the foundation of our civic life in America. They help us understand each other, as well as ourselves, and in doing so allow us to face the challenges of the future, grounded in the lessons of our shared history."

Education has been a centerpiece of Mr. Bell's life for nearly 40 years. A respected academic and researcher, he has lectured and published extensively.  Since 1995, he has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Oncology at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine and presented on a wide variety of topics before foundations, medical associations and universities. Mr. Bell has advocated broadly for science learning, conservation, and community health initiatives through his affiliation with a wide range of organizations. These have included Project EarthSense, The Humane Society, Community Health Charities Minnesota and the JASON Advisory Committee, a public-private elementary and secondary school science education initiative of the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History. Mr. Bell is also a long-time trustee of Connecticut College. He began his career in education as a Spanish teacher at the Blake School in Hopkins, Minn.

Bell's many philanthropic and civic endeavors underscore his commitment to developing organizations and strengthening communities. For more than two decades he has supported Minneapolis institutions, including the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, where as a board member he recently helped build its Center for Families to support the growing number of people from West Africa in need of job training, health screenings and affordable housing.

Bell has been passionate about museums throughout his life. His grandfather, James Ford Bell, was a driving force in building and developing the Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota, renamed in his honor in 1966. The James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History explores life's diversity, deepening individual understanding and appreciation of the natural world through education, collections and research. Bell's many visits to the museum helped to foster a lifelong love of nature and science and were a factor in his decision to become a veterinarian.

"I believe that America's museums are a cornerstone of learning and inspiration for all ages," added Bell. "My family and I have seen the value that museums provide for public education and their place as civic institutions and sources of pride in our diverse communities. And yet as our lives provide less time for leisure activities it is incumbent upon us all to cherish museums as relevant and stimulating places to visit and enjoy. I look forward to strengthening our invaluable museums on a variety of critical fronts."

"Ford is a proven leader," remarked Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center and chair of the AAM CEO search committee. "His significant contributions over the years to civic life and our cultural landscape coupled with a dynamic ability to articulate AAM's vision will prove to be an asset to museums as they engage and inspire citizens of the 21st century."

Bell's appointment takes place during a time of dramatic change at AAM as it implements a new strategic framework to communicate the value and diverse role of museums, strengthen the next generation of museum leaders and provide the services and the intellectual resources for museums in the future. To that end, "Why Museums Matter" will be the theme and focus of AAM's 101st Annual Meeting & Museum Expo in Chicago, May 13-17, 2007.

View Bell's biography at www.aam-us.org/aboutaam/bellbio.cfm.

About AAM

The American Association of Museums (AAM) has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With more than 15,000 individual, 3,000 institutional and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org/aboutaam.

Press Contact:
Jason Hall
202/289-9125

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