Excellent point, although it does not always work. The two African-Americans on my board have done little, if anything, to expand our presence into the African-American community. I have had to put the push in that direction and having recently hired an African-American Program Director, we will, I think, make some progress. Sometimes the latter makes more impact than just having the minority on the Board. ------ Robert Handy Brazoria County Historical Museum 100 East Cedar Angleton, Texas 77515 (409) 864-1208 museum_bob [log in to unmask] http://www.bchm.org ---------- From: Ross Weeks[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 1999 10:14 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Ethnic Diversity It is up to the museum's CEO to put before the nominating committee the names of minorities who might be willing to serve on the board. The board typically will not take that initiative. You don't identify the kind of museum you have, nor where it is. Those make a difference in how an institution builds the diversity of its board, in my experience. If the museum has an educational program, for example, the educational community has a stake in it. Schools typically have ethnic diversity in faculty and administration. Social service agencies and government bodies include potentially helpful board members. Corporations are more and more ethnically diverse, and encourage their executives to provide expertise to the non-profits in their communities. There are businesses owned by various minorities. My personal view is that "ethnic diversity" is a means to an end. A museum board needs to represent its constituency, and also find ways to broaden its following. No board member "ought" to be chosen unless that individual can assist the museum in its mission and its support. Ethnic nominees should be proposed on the same basis that other members are nominated -- how can they help? Having token ethnicity on the board for the sake of looking good on grant applications, being politically correct, or whatever, serves no good purpose. Ross Weeks Jr. http://histcrab.netscope.net -----Original Message----- From: jennifer marie cohlman <[log in to unmask]> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tuesday, March 16, 1999 9:20 AM >Hello, > >I was wondering if anyone had ideas on approaching your mueum board to >become ethnically diverse? Particularly if the board seems open to the >idea, but unsure how to take it to the next level.