Washington, DC

The Opportunity

The Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) seeks a Director to lead the organization in achieving its goal of establishing a dedicated space on the National Mall to feature the stories of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) as they are reflected across all of the Smithsonian's collections. The position has the primary responsibility of representing and enhancing public understanding of the heritage of Asian & Pacific Island Americans and their historical and contemporary contributions to the American experience, world cultures, and humanity's place in the natural world. The Director will also serve as the external face of APAC, inspiring confidence in its capabilities and raising its profile as a distinctive national asset and source of programming.

As a vibrant national resource, APAC serves to elevate the AANHPI experience at the Smithsonian and beyond through its impactful initiatives, dynamic programming, immersive experiences, and inclusive engagement. Recognizing the interconnectedness within America's diverse populations, APAC fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation for the role of AANHPI communities and their contributions to American life.

Through education initiatives and exhibitions, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center celebrates the diverse AANHPI cultures, histories, and artistic productions that have contributed to enriching American life and society. APAC's 25th anniversary in 2022 was an inflection point, galvanizing the support of business and cultural leaders, innovators and artists, community activists and philanthropists, and people from all walks of life.

APAC has a multi-year goal of raising $63 million to ensure the financial stability of the organization and continued success; $20M of that is their stated goal for the current overall Smithsonian campaign, For Our Shared Future. The Keystone Initiative has a bold vision to establish the first-ever dedicated AANHPI gallery on the National Mall. APAC is also engaged in raising funds to endow the director and head of education positions. By spearheading these initiatives for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, the Director will ensure that AANHPI perspectives and experiences are found throughout the Smithsonian in perpetuity, and the impact of AANHPI peoples and communities are understood as integral to the nation's history.

About the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) ensures the comprehensive representation and inclusion of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) across the Smithsonian's collections, research, exhibitions, and programs. Through education initiatives, publications, and public programs, APAC documents, celebrates, and shares the diverse history, art, and culture of AANHPI communities.

From its inception in 1997, APAC has sought to illuminate the vibrant, diverse, and resilient communities made up of AANHPIs. This vision encompasses more than two hundred years of shared history, migration, and exchange—of people and ideas across continents and a constellation of islands. With over 23 million people of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent in the United States and projections of their continued significance, APAC recognizes the imperative to fully embrace and celebrate these rich heritages.
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has evolved from its roots as a research and programming center into a robust programming and education hub dedicated to promoting awareness and understanding of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) peoples and communities. With 22 million Asian Americans and 1.5 million Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders residing in the United States, AANHPIs comprise the fastest growing racial group in the country.

The Center has produced and co-produced a variety of exhibitions hosted in Smithsonian museums and those that travel around the nation. It has sponsored symposia, conferences, and public education programs, published studies, organized festivals and performances, stimulated Smithsonian collections, and produced various media products.

The Center is an integral unit of the Smithsonian, with its Director a Secretarial appointee, reporting directly to the Under Secretary for Museums & Culture. The Center has a highly distinguished advisory board, and a small but growing staff. Its budget, supported by Federal appropriations and Smithsonian trust funds, as well as by philanthropic and corporate donations, is slated for growth. The Center's strategic plan or "Blueprint" emphasizes a three-pronged approach for engaging a broad public by creating an ongoing programmatic presence on the National Mall, a virtual interactive museum, and collaborative projects with museums nationwide.

For more information about the Asian Pacific American Center, please visit apa.si.edu/.

About the Smithsonian Institution

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with twenty-one museums, nine research centers, five educational units, and the National Zoo—shaping the future by preserving heritage, discovering new knowledge, and sharing its resources with the world. Under the leadership of the Secretary, the Smithsonian advances its core values of discovery, creativity, excellence, diversity, integrity, and service.

The Smithsonian is governed by the Board of Regents, consisting of the Chief Justice of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, three members of the United States Senate, three members of the United States House of Representatives, and nine citizens appointed by Joint Resolution of Congress. The Secretary of the Smithsonian is appointed by the Board of Regents and oversees the Institution.

The two ex officio Regents (the Vice President and Chief Justice) serve as Regents by virtue of their respective positions. As ex officio Regents, they are full voting members. By statute, the Board of Regents elects one of its members as Chancellor, who serves as presiding officer of the Board of Regents. The Chief Justice currently serves as Chancellor.

The Smithsonian employs more than 6,700 committed professionals, including renowned scientists and scholars, and a comparable number of highly motivated volunteers, interns, fellows, and visiting artists, including over seven hundred fellows and an additional 8,500 digital volunteers. The Smithsonian annually attracts more than twenty million visitors to its museums, and 160 million unique visits to its websites, as well as over eight million followers on social media. It reaches millions of others through its cable channel, magazine, and other publications. The Smithsonian's vast collections hold more than 157 million objects and specimens.

Through its unparalleled collections and research capabilities, and the insight and creativity fostered through art, history, and culture, the Smithsonian strives to provide Americans and the world with the tools and information they need to forge Our Shared Future.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

The Director has responsibility for the overall planning, development, direction, and management of all programs and activities of APAC. The Director is appointed by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and reports on all matters relating to APAC through the Under Secretary for Museums & Culture. The Director confers and consults with an Advisory Board appointed by the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

Provides vision and leadership for the representation of the Asian American experience at the Smithsonian and through directing the Asian Pacific American Center, advising the Secretary, Under Secretary for Museums & Culture and other officials, and collaborating with colleagues in and beyond the Smithsonian, and strategically implements scholarly and educational activities that realize that vision.

Directs the Asian Pacific American Center, with responsibility for its scholarly activities, physical and virtual museum exhibitions, educational and public programs, its online presence, the development and management of its staff, advisory board, collaborative relationships, and volunteers, oversight and enhancement of its fiscal resources, and its consistency and compliance with Smithsonian policies, plans, and procedures.

Raises funds for the Center and its activities. Develops relationships with corporate and philanthropic sectors, encourages and applies for government and foundation grants to increase resources available for research and educational activities focused upon Asian and Pacific American heritage and contributions to the American experience. Works with the central Office of Advancement as appropriate.

Develops and coordinates a distinguished advisory board of public officials, and civic, business, philanthropic, and academic leaders with a view of supporting programs and initiatives and advancing the national interest in the representation of Asian and Pacific American achievement in history, arts, culture, science, and technology.

Develops and maintains scholarly and educational relations with other Smithsonian museums, research centers, consortia, and programs, and seeks collaborative projects and activities that represent Asian and Pacific American heritage and contributions to the American experience. Such may involve joint staff appointments, collaborative research, exhibitions, educational and public programs, websites, and publications, online and media products, community outreach, the acquisition of important artifacts, art, documentary, and digital collections, etc., as well as helping manage any pan-Institutional funds and initiatives dedicated to Asian Pacific American projects.

Promotes Institutional partnerships with museums, universities, educational consortia, and community organizations around the U.S. and beyond as appropriate. Develops strategies that identify and encourage increased Asian and Pacific American candidate pools for Smithsonian employment. Facilitates opportunities to train Asian and Pacific Americans in museum-related fields of study, to increase internships and fellowships in the museum profession.

Serves as primary liaison within the Smithsonian to Asian and Pacific American community groups, national organizations, scholarly and professional associations, academic departments, and other organizations. Aids the Secretary, Under Secretary, and Office of Government Relations in representing Asian and Pacific American activities, issues and needs at the Smithsonian to the Office of Management & Budget, the Regents, Members, and committees of Congress.

Builds public awareness of all the Smithsonian's Asian and Pacific American programs and activities and works with the central Office of Public Affairs as appropriate to do so.

Maintains active scholarly or professional standing and reputation by conducting research, or publishing work, or making public presentations pertaining to the Asian and Pacific American experience in relevant fields.

Candidate Profile

The Director of Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) will at the minimum possess a bachelor's degree in an applicable subject-matter field and senior level professional leadership in a museum, cultural institution or in the educational arena and experience with public programs, curated exhibitions, documentary collections, scholarly research, policy work, or some form of cultural entrepreneurship or development activity. An advanced degree in a related field is highly desirable. The successful candidate will be a recognized leader in the field and will have had experience leading a multi-disciplinary, complex organization or a significant department/division within a larger entity, as shown by at least 10 years of experience.

While it is understood that no one candidate will bring every desired skill, characteristic, and experience, the following offers a reflection of the ideal candidate profile for the Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center:

LEADERSHIP

An accomplished professional with executive leadership experience, either within a museum, cultural organization, business or governmental agency or a comparable setting with a similarly complex organizational structure, culture, constituencies, and constraints. Must be able to clearly and compellingly articulate a viable, resonating vision that can attract widespread support. Must also be comfortable in a large, complex organization that requires creative leadership and collaborative skills to function as both a leader and a collaborator to harness the diverse talent within APAC as well as among the Smithsonian's many museums, research centers, and education units and other collegial institutions and organizations. Ability to facilitate the creation and execution of workable agendas within APAC as well as between APAC, various Smithsonian museums and centers, and central administration. Exhibits strong listening, negotiation, and communication skills to resolve impasses and remove roadblocks as they arise to create the conditions that will allow staff to be successful and operate efficiently. Fosters unity, creativity, and innovation, combined with a willingness to take calculated risks, experiment, evaluate results, and adjust as needed. Prior exposure to and success working effectively within a public/private or quasi-governmental entity is a plus.

EXPERTISE AND PROGRAMMATIC PROWESS

Experience and demonstrated results in presenting Asian and Pacific American contributions, themes and issues through scholarly research, public programming, exhibitions and /or publications with particular emphasis on reaching, interacting, and engaging with communities through new, digital social media, websites, and applications. Ability to identify and assess elements of APAC's strategic plan and other initiatives in which APAC and the Smithsonian can achieve success, lead and partner with others.

FUNDRAISING

Ability to set fundraising priorities and strategies. Demonstrated fundraising success and acumen with initiating, developing, and stewarding relationships with board members, individual donors, corporate sponsors, foundations, and government funders.

PARTNERSHIP

Possesses both entrepreneurial instincts and pragmatic skills to define, coordinate and lead collaborative outreach efforts internally and with other museums, organizations, collaborators, and involved communities. Accomplished in engaging business, government, cultural and community leaders and establishing alliances with other institutions throughout the U.S. and beyond.

MANAGEMENT

A disciplined, strategic thinker who acts purposefully, collaboratively, and pragmatically to identify and take advantage of resources and opportunities to realize an organization's fullest potential. Demonstrated experience implementing a strategic plan, evaluating its impact and refining it over time. Experience in managing a professional staff, and a complex, multi-source budget. Experience in leading and managing a multi-disciplined and culturally diverse workforce, including fostering teamwork and high morale, attracting, retaining, and mentoring staff, fellows, interns, and volunteers as well as implementing EEO policies and programs. Able to work effectively with a board and partner with other organizations internally and externally to achieve concrete goals and objectives.

COMMUNICATION

Demonstrated success in developing communication strategies and personally effective in communicating institutional goals, priorities, and accomplishments in both private and public settings. Ability to serve as the external face of the Smithsonian and APAC, inspiring confidence in its capabilities and building its profile as a distinctive national asset and source of public understanding and programming. Interpersonal and communications skills to build relationships and lead collaborative initiatives with both internal and external stakeholders. This includes ability to effectively persuade and influence stakeholders, build trust and credibility, and to form successful partnerships with a wide variety of constituencies (i.e., senior leadership, boards, donors, staff, artists, community leaders) across an organization.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $300,000 - $400,000 with a generous benefits package.

The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

Contact

Naree W.S. Viner and Michelle Bonoan of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials through our online talent portal, or email Naree a Michelle directly at SI_APAC_Director@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

About Koya Partners | Diversified Search Group

Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation's premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of "America's Best Executive Recruiting Firms" and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm's website.



To apply, visit: https://www.dsgco.com/search/21787-smithsonian-institution-director-asian-pacific-american-center/





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