Whitney M. Donhauser has been appointed President and Director of The Museum of the City of New York. Donhauser, who will begin her position on January 1, 2016, succeeds Susan Henshaw Jones, who is retiring at the end of 2015.
“We are very lucky to have found such an accomplished museum professional to lead the City Museum during its next period of growth,” said James Dinan, Chairman of the City Museum Board. “We are confident that Whitney Donhauser will ensure the City Museum continues its renaissance, which includes launching our milestone permanent exhibition, New York at Its Core, which is scheduled to open November 2016.”
Donhauser joins the organization after a 23-year career in museum management and fundraising. Previously, she served as the Senior Advisor to the President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She also served as the primary point of contact between The Metropolitan Museum and the White House for events hosted by President Obama, most recently a fundraising event to raise awareness of illegal trafficking of art work in Syria and Iraq.
“I am deeply honored to be joining the Museum of the City of New York,” Donhauser said. “As a long-time New Yorker, I have greatly enjoyed seeing the Museum’s transformation into an important cultural force in the life of the city. Now, I look forward to advancing the Museum’s profile and role in the City’s cultural life, increasing its audience and completing the groundbreaking exhibition, New York at Its Core. I am excited to work with the Museum’s staff on exhibitions and programs that capture the city’s rich history and ethos – its diversity, neighborhoods and internationalism.”
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