National Museum of African American Music
Executive Director
| Executive Director | Mr. Christopher Brown |
|---|---|
| drown@nmaam.org | |
| Term Start | May 2022 |
| Christopher's Experience: Dion Brown was named the Executive Director/Acting President of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) by NMAAM's Board of Directors on August 2, 2023. He formerly served as NMAAM's Chief Operating Officer for 15 months prior to this appointment. Former roles include: Chief Operating Officer o National Museum of African American Music (Nashville) Managing Director of Nonprofit Services o NMBL Strategies (St. Louis) President and Chief Operating Officer o National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati) Founding Executive Director o National Blues Museum (St. Louis) Executive Director o B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center (Mississippi) During Brown's Chief Operating Officer role at National Museum of African American Music, he oversaw the Operations, Education & Exhibitions, Marketing, and Guest Services teams. During his tenure, he led the overall reorganization and identified cost savings of over $300K while growing staff. He created the vision for two exhibitions - the 50th Anniversary of the Hip Hop Travelling Exhibition and the rotating exhibition for the museum's lobby honoring Nashville's own talent. Brown also curated and led the historical Block Party on Broadway for Juneteenth's 2023 Celebration. Brown is: An Emmy Award Winning Executive Producer; An experienced educational programmer and a proud team builder, working with staff and board members alike to adopt culturally responsive strategies and navigate challenging situations; Retired from the United States Air Force after 21 years of service. Brown holds two degrees from Southwestern College in Kansas - a Master of Science in Leadership and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources. He also has a certificate of fundraising from the IUPUI School of Philanthropy in Indianapolis, IN. Finally, Brown is a former Board member of the Association of African American Museums (AAAM). |
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Senior Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Bill Jeffries | VP of Development |
| James Munch | VP of Finance |
| Laura Purswell | VP of Talent |
| Dion Brown | Chief Operating Officer |
Staff
| Full Time Staff | 37 |
|---|---|
| Part Time Staff | 8 |
| Volunteers | 100 |
| Contractors | 3 |
| Retention Rate | 85% |
Plans & Policies
| Does your organization have a Fundraising Plan? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Does your organization have a Strategic Plan? | Yes |
| Years Strategic Plan Considers | 2 |
| When was the Strategic Plan adopted? | March 2015 |
| Does your organization have a Management Succession Plan? | Under Development |
| Does your organization have a Policy and Procedure Plan? | Under Development |
| Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy? | Yes |
| Does the organization have a Whistle Blower Policy? | No |
| Does the organization have a Document Destruction Policy? | No |
Evaluation
| Is there a formal evaluation for... | Frequency (if applicable) | |
|---|---|---|
| CEO/Executive Director | Yes | Annually |
| Senior Management | Yes | Annually |
| Non-Management | Yes | Annually |
Affiliations
| Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|
| American Association of Museums - Member | 2009 |
| Association of African American Museums - Member | 2009 |
| Center for Nonprofit Management Excellence Network | 2012 |
CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments
| NMAAM's staff continues to grow and fill out now that we have opened the museum. We are pleased with the experience of the people who serve NMAAM and value their contributions to the permanent museum site, our 'Museum Without Walls' programming, and future experiences together. |
