Interim leadership named for new museums

Lisa Sasaki and Eduardo Díaz will guide the establishment of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino

Since the passage of the legislation that established the National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum (SAWHM), the leadership team and Kevin Gover, the Under Secretary of Museums and Culture, have begun the necessary steps to establish and start the development of the new museums. 

One of the first and critical steps of this process is to establish interim leadership for the museums. Gover has announced two outstanding SI leaders have stepped forward to take on these important roles. Lisa Sasaki, currently the Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC), will serve as the Interim Director of SAWHM. And Eduardo Díaz, Director of the Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC), will be the Interim Director of NMAL. 

Sasaki has been with the Institution since 2016. She has been instrumental in championing the art, history, and culture of Asian Pacific American communities at the Smithsonian, online, and throughout the country. This is not the first time Sasaki has helped transition an SI organization. In 2019, she served as the Interim Director of the Anacostia Community Museum. She also recently served on the New Normal Committee, providing recommendations on how the Smithsonian could evolve following the COVID-19 pandemic. We will name an Interim Director for APAC in the near future. 

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative (AWHI) will continue its vital work, increasing pan-institutional scholarship, programming, exhibits, and digital storytelling. And AWHI funding pools and opportunities will continue, ensuring women’s history is represented across the Institution. Both the Initiative and the museum will play important and related roles in the Smithsonian’s future. The museum will benefit from the Initiative’s remarkable progress and the Initiative will serve as a natural partner to the museum.

Eduardo Díaz joined the Smithsonian in 2008. Throughout his career and at SLC, he has championed a greater understanding and deeper appreciation for the enduring contributions of Latinos in our country. Under his leadership, SLC has expanded Latino representation at the Smithsonian by developing museum professionals, more diverse research projects, exhibitions, and public, educational, and digital programs. Díaz’ vision and dedication have led to the creation and development of the Molina Family Latino Gallery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the first physical presence and gallery for SLC, scheduled to open in 2022. Díaz will continue to oversee SLC while serving as Interim Director for NMAL.

This spring, the Smithsonian will begin two national searches for permanent leadership for the museums. In the meantime, Sasaki and Díaz will be instrumental in laying the groundwork for the formative years of the museums. Throughout their time at the Smithsonian, they have been vital leaders for the Institution and their respective centers. Their leadership, management, strategic, and operational skills coupled with their extensive museum experience will help us hit the ground running as we embark on the first years of building the new museums.

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