For Immediate Release

ARLINGTON, VA – The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, announced the slate of officers to lead its board of directors in 2022-2023:

• Chair: Chevy Humphrey, President and CEO, The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
• Immediate Past Chair: Kippen de Alba Chu, Executive Museum Professional
• Vice Chair and Secretary: Jorge Zamanillo, Founding Director, National Museum of the American Latino
• Treasurer: Devon Akmon, Director, Michigan State University Museum & Science Gallery

“I am honored to serve the Alliance and the museum field alongside this extraordinary group of leaders,” said Chevy Humphrey, AAM Board Chair. “Our officers and directors bring a depth and diversity of experience that has gotten us through some of the greatest challenges our field has ever faced over the past few years. I look forward to continue working with the AAM Board of Directors as we plan for the future of the field through our new 2022-2025 Strategic Framework that centers equity, museum impact, and celebrating the work of museum professionals.”

The board voted to extend the terms of Humphrey and de Alba Chu by one year to retain their strong leadership and maintain stability after two pandemic years.

Humphrey—the first woman and Black American to lead The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago— is a recognized national and international leader in the museum field. Prior to joining MSI, she served as CEO of the Phoenix-based Arizona Science Center for 15 years. A committed advocate for global, national, local, and statewide education initiatives, she has served on the boards of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute, College Success Arizona, Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Grand Canyon Education, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

de Alba Chu, who served as Chair of the AAM Board of Directors from 2018-2020, has held roles most recently as Chief of Staff and then Interim President of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and, prior to that, as Executive Director of Iolani Palace in Honolulu, the former official royal residence of the Hawaiian Monarchy. He currently serves on the African American Museum and Cultural Center Steering Committee for the City of Fort Worth and has previously served on the boards of the Western Museums Association, Friends of Hawaii Robotics, and Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations.

Zamanillo was recently named the first director of the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of the American Latino after a 21-year career at HistoryMiami Museum, including as Executive Director and CEO for more than five years. He is a founding partner of Made By Us, a collective of history and civic organizations working to facilitate informed civic participation and present a more inclusive history with and for young adults, and has served as President of the Florida Association of Museums.

Akmon currently leads the Michigan State University Museum & Science Gallery and has previously served as Senior Consultant with the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland and as Director of the Arab American National Museum. He is a board member of Artspace and previously served on boards and advisory committees for CultureSource, Kresge Arts in Detroit, Smithsonian Affiliations, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, among others.

In addition to Zamanillo, the board welcomed two additional returning board members for a second term (2022-2025):

• Marcia DeWitt, Trustee, Biggs Museum of American Art and immediate past President, Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens
• Julie Stein, Emeritus Executive Director, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

See the full list of the Alliance’s board of directors.

The Alliance is grateful to the board members whose service ended this year: Dr. Robert M. Davis, President and CEO, America’s Black Holocaust Museum; Kelly McKinley, Chief Executive Officer, Bay Area Discovery Museum; and James Pepper Henry, Director and CEO, First Americans Museum. Their leadership and service 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, AAM has been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.

AAM’s Alliance of 35,000 museums and museum professionals seeks to better our communities, and our world, through collaborative human-centered experiences, education, and connection to histories, cultures, the natural world, and one another. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.

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Media Contact:

Natanya Khashan
Senior Director, Audience Development & Engagement
American Alliance of Museums