The American Alliance of Museums has appointed a new chair, also naming three leading museum professionals to its board.

Douglas S. Jones, director of the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville is the incoming board chair for 2016-2018. A member of the board since 2012, Jones is also professor of geology and biology at the University of Florida, and has served on the boards of the Florida Association of Museums, the Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences, and the Association of Science Museum Directors.

Additionally, Chevy Humphrey, president and CEO of the Arizona Science Center, Phoenix; James Pepper Henry, executive director of the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Kelly McKinley, director, OMCA Lab, Oakland Museum of California have been elected to the board to serve three-year terms.

“I welcome these visionary leaders from our field, and I look forward to the experience and insight they bring to our board,” said Laura L. Lott, Alliance president and CEO. “Their guidance will be key to fulfill our mission to champion museums and nurture excellence in partnership with our members and allies.”

The new board members’ terms started on 29 May following the conclusion of the 2016 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo in Washington, DC, which saw a 40 per cent increase in attendance with 6,000 people gathering for the four-day event.