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Oakland Museum of California Announces Eight New Trustees, Enhancing OMCA’s Leadership and Governance and Advancing OMCA’s Commitment to Increasing Its Board Diversity

(OAKLAND, CA) July 27, 2021— Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) today announced its new Board of Trustees roster, including eight new members and a new Board Chair, Anita Martinez. A total of 35 members are now serving on OMCA’s Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2021. 

The eight new trustees bring expertise in community participation, education and youth development, finance, marketing and consumer research, facilities, and energy conservation and sustainability. As stipulated in the Museum’s by-laws, the President of the Oakland Museum Women’s Board, the major support organization that produces the annual White Elephant Sale, also serves as an OMCA trustee. Renata Dowdakin has been recently elected to this two-year term. Also notably joining the Board is artist Chris Johnson, co-creator of the Question Bridge: Black Males project, which is in the Museum’s permanent collection and is currently on view in the Gallery of California Art. 

OMCA is one of 50 museums nationwide participating in the American Alliance of Museums Facing Change initiative, a two-year effort to increase board diversity that involves training, the compilation of a diversity and equity plan, and recruitment. With the addition of the eight new trustees, OMCA’s Board comprises 50 percent people of color, an increase of approximately 10  percent. 

As part of OMCA’s commitment to becoming a more anti-racist, equitable organization, last year, the Board of Trustees drafted a statement of support, outlining five specific commitments, including more inclusive and diverse representation in the Board’s composition. 

New OMCA Trustees include: 

“We are so thrilled to welcome these eight new members to our Board of Trustees, all who bring a variety of experience and knowledge that will be a huge asset to our organization,” said Director & CEO Lori Fogarty. “Board diversity is not just about featuring representatives of different communities, but also creating a culture of inclusion with the board that supports trustees of different backgrounds to be able to fully participate.” 

“I am pleased and honored to take on the chairmanship of OMCA at this critical time in its history, as we emerge from the pandemic and re-opening to welcome our public. I am grateful for the leadership of our former chair, Quinn Delaney, over the past three years, and look forward to working with our eight new trustees and our full Board of 35 members on stewarding the Museum moving forward,” said Board Chair Anita Martinez. 

In addition to a new Board Chair, new officers include Sean Chang, Director, IT Strategy & Architecture, The Clorox Company serving as Vice Chair; Lance Gyorfi, local civic leader serving as Vice Chair; Rahsaan Thompson, Executive VP at Gritstone bio serving as Treasurer; and Dana King, local artist and civic leader serving as Secretary.

A full list of OMCA’s Board of Trustees can be found at museumca.org/board-trustees

ABOUT OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA 

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) tells the many stories that comprise California, creating the space and context for greater connection, trust, and understanding between people. Through its inclusive exhibitions, public programs, educational initiatives, and cultural events, OMCA brings Californians together and inspires greater understanding about what our state’s art, history, and natural surroundings teach us about ourselves and each other. With more than 1.9 million objects, OMCA brings together its multi-disciplinary collections of art, history, and natural science with first-person accounts and often untold narratives of California, all within its 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus. The Museum is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage for visitors from the region, the state, and around the world.

VISITOR INFORMATION 

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is at 1000 Oak Street, at 10th Street, in Oakland. Museum admission is $16 general; $11 seniors and students with valid ID, $7 youth ages 13 to 17, and free for Members and children 12 and under. OMCA offers free admission with a suggested donation of $5 every first Sunday of the month. There is a $5 charge in addition to general admission pricing for special exhibitions. OMCA offers onsite underground parking and is conveniently located one block from the Lake Merritt BART station, on the corner of 10th Street and Oak Street. An accessibility ramp is located at the 1000 Oak Street main entrance to the Museum. museumca.org 


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