FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARLINGTON, VA – The Board of Directors of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) today announced the appointment of Rebekah Beaulieu and Evans Richardson IV as new Accreditation Commissioners. Their terms begin January 1, 2019 and end December 31, 2023.

The Accreditation Commission is the body responsible for making independent decisions regarding accredited status. It meets three times per year and is made up of museum professionals that collectively bring a wide range of experience and expertise in the museum field. Commissioners serve in a volunteer capacity. AAM accreditation is the museum field’s mark of distinction and offers peer-based validation of a museum’s operations and impact.

Rebekah Beaulieu is the Director of Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT. Prior to taking this role in February 2018, she spent four years at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art as the Assistant Director of Museum Operations, then as Associate Director, where she managed all administrative activities including staffing, finances, communications, visitor experience, and operations  She also played an important role in expanding the number of exhibitions and programs offered and broadening access to the museum and its collections. Rebekah also served as the first Executive Director of the Winchester Historical Society (MA) including the Sanborn House Historical and Cultural Center. She is an active Peer Reviewer for AAM’s Accreditation/MAP programs, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Endowment for the Humanities; and is a board member for the Historic Houses and Sites Professional Network, the New England Museum Association and Connecticut Humanities. She is also on the faculty of the History Leadership Institute of the American Association for State and Local History, and the author of Financial Fundamentals for Historic House Museums (2017).

Evans Richardson IV serves as Chief of Staff at The Studio Museum in Harlem, where he collaborates closely with the Director and Chief Curator, the Board of Trustees and teams from across the institution to develop and implement the Museum’s strategic initiatives, cultivate relationships with community stakeholders and institutional partners, and direct all aspects of municipal and state lobbying and advocacy. Evans has helped manage the planning, launch and ongoing execution of a $175 million capital campaign to support the creation of a new home and expanded operations for the Museum. Through his active engagement with New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group since 2015, Evans has helped amplify the consortium’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) throughout the city’s cultural sector. Prior to arriving at the Studio Museum, Evans was a Program Specialist at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, a role that connected him with over 100 nonprofit cultural organizations throughout the city’s five boroughs.

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Commissioners self-nominate and are appointed by the AAM Board Chair based on recommendations from a five-member nominating committee, then ratified by the full Board. This year the nominating committee received 10 applications for two seats.

“In contrast to the narrow criteria of the past two appointment cycles, this year’s committee was looking for individuals with experience in a range of institutional settings, roles, and/or situations over their career,” said Kippen de Alba Chu, AAM’s Board Chair. “It also gave particular attention to how candidates had advanced some aspect of DEAI in their career—at a museum, in the field at-large, and/or at a related organization—and what they could contribute to the Commission’s current efforts to better codify how it addresses DEAI in its decision-making and application of the standards.”

“Based on their experience and high praise from their peers, I know that Evans and Rebekah will serve AAM with dedication and enthusiasm, and the perspectives they bring will add value to the Commission’s work. I am grateful for their commitment to this vitally important position.”

Learn more about all nine Accreditation Commissioners.

About the Accreditation Program

Established in 1971, and as the flagship program of the Continuum of Excellence, the Accreditation Program is one of the Alliance’s most important mechanisms for unifying the field around a shared set of standards and ethical principles.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums 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. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.

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David Harrison
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