NEW YORK, NY | July 11, 2023 – The Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums (BTA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Diane Jean-Mary as its new Executive Director.
Jean-Mary brings with her over a decade of experience leading organizational transformation in the cultural sphere. Her career is distinguished by an unwavering commitment to social justice in her work to fortify the resilience, relevance, and impact of arts institutions. She will assume her new role as Executive Director on August 8, 2023.
BTA was founded in August 2020 amid renewed calls for racial justice across the globe. Since then, BTA has established a community of 130 members representing 78 institutions across North America. Through in-person convenings, digital programming, and an inaugural survey focused on the experience of Black trustees, BTA has fostered a network of mutual support and collective agency for Black trustees. As BTA enters this next phase of growth, Jean-Mary will play a key role in ensuring that the organization achieves its mission of amplifying Black voices in the cultural landscape.
“I am thrilled to join Black Trustee Alliance at such a pivotal moment of growth, and I’m energized by this opportunity to inspire, equip, and mobilize our member base of trustees to create change within and beyond their institutions,” said Jean-Mary. “BTA will continue the vital work of driving awareness and actionability for the betterment of Black artists, cultural workers, community, and the field at large.”
As Executive Director, Jean-Mary will oversee all aspects of the organization’s strategic efforts and organizational development. She will lead the execution of the BTA’s strategic plan, develop the group’s membership and partnerships, and advance its key mission objectives: building and activating the Black trustee community, developing tools for effective leadership, and publishing insights and guidelines to inform the field at large.
“Diane has made an impact at the frontlines of social and cultural change. She is the visionary and strategic leader we need to steward the next phase of BTA, as we expand beyond building community amongst Black trustees to supporting transformation within the museums they serve,” said Victoria Rogers, BTA co-chair and Head of the Search Committee.
“Diane is that rare talent who can lead and shape the narrative at this important moment of debate on racial and social representation within the cultural world,” added Raymond J. McGuire, BTA co-chair.
In her prior roles as a Principal Strategy Consultant and as Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at arts consultancy LaPlaca Cohen, Jean-Mary has shaped the strategic visions of leading cultural institutions across the nation. She also spearheaded Culture Track, the seminal consumer research platform dedicated to addressing the most pressing challenges in the cultural economy and is co-author of a pioneering data study focused on workplace equity in US art museums alongside Museums Moving Forward (MMF).
“Diane is a true transformative leader and a highly respected professional in the cultural world. At LaPlaca Cohen, she guided a wide range of cultural and creative organizations as she oversaw both our strategic advisory practice and a number of the largest and most influential Culture Track studies ever conducted. She is uniquely well positioned to help chart BTA’s continued evolution,” shared Arthur Cohen, CEO and co-founder of LaPlaca Cohen.
Jean-Mary holds a BA from Columbia University, and certificates in Applied Positive Psychology and International Business Management from the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University, respectively. She has been a speaker and facilitator at over 100 convenings on topics including the future of the cultural experience, shifts in the creative economy, and Black voices for the evolution of culture.
ABOUT THE BLACK TRUSTEE ALLIANCE
The mission of the Black Trustee Alliance for Art Museums (BTA) is to transform art museums into more equitable and excellent spaces of cultural engagement by harnessing the power of Black trustees. For general inquiries, visit https://blacktrusteealliance.org/ or send an email to admin@blacktrusteealliance.org.