The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Lavita McMath Turner as the institution’s first Chief Diversity Officer, effective from January 2021.
McMath Turner currently serves as Assistant Dean for Equity, Inclusion, and Experiential Learning at Stella & Charles Guttman Community College, City University of New York (CUNY).
She provided strategic leadership in shaping the college’s equity, diversity and inclusion plans and addressed the equity gaps for students with diverse backgrounds.
Prior to this, McMath Turner was the first Director of Government Relations at CUNY’s Kingsborough Community College. She previously worked at the Brooklyn Museum.
The Met is committed to anti-racism and diversity
“I have dedicated my career to creating equity, inclusion, and community within a range of arts and culture and higher education institutions, so it is with great excitement that I accept this new position at The Met,” said McMath Turner.
“The Met is committed to ensuring that both its staff and visitors feel valued and are able to experience the museum as a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible cultural institution, goals I look forward to helping The Met achieve.”
In her new role, McMath Turner will collaborate with various departments, particularly human resources, to oversee the museum’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and access plan.
She will manage its commitments to anti-racism, diversity and a stronger community, and develop initiatives that support its goals to become inclusive, equitable, and fair.
McMath Turner will report to The Met’s President and CEO, Daniel H Weiss.
“Lavita McMath Turner has an exceptional record of success promoting equity throughout her career in cultural and higher education institutions, and she will be a key partner in helping The Met evolve into a more inclusive place to work, visit, and learn,” said Weiss.
“I am greatly looking forward to working together—with the full support of our board and so many across the institution—to achieve these goals.”
Source: The Met
