Elizabeth L. Hillman, Chancellor of Mills College, has been named Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan.
The board formalized the position on Thursday, making Hillman, 54, who served as a U.S. Air Force space operations officer in the 1990s before becoming a law professor in the 2000s, the third person to head the organization, taking office in October. She will succeed Alice M. Greenwald, one of the museum’s founders. Alice M. Greenwald said in December that she would be leaving after 16 years.
Former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who chairs the agency, said in a statement: Recognized by our military as a historian whose deep sense of service is grounded in a lifelong commitment to learning, and as a pioneer who has fought for justice and equality throughout his career. “
Other board members, like former Admiral William H. McRaven, admired Hillman’s military expertise and said that background made him “a sacred responsibility to lead this agency and ensure that new generations understand it.” I am ready to fulfill my promise,” he said in a statement. What happened in 2001.
“Beth Hillman’s choice will ensure that both the museum and the memorial will continue to thrive in service to our nation as landmark places of remembrance, education and inspiration.”
Nonetheless, Hillman is an unconventional choice to lead an organization that has struggled to cover large sums of money in recent years, restore viewership and retain employees. When he was president of Mills College in California, the college merged with Northeastern University. Low enrollment rate and financial hardshipIn July, Auckland City Council passed a resolution He called the merger “suddenly, confusingly and with little transparency”, prompting an investigation.
When considering changing the system, Hillman said in an interview, “Sometimes it hits people hard.”
“I’m really happy with the results,” she added. “We saved jobs and created new paths for students.”
When an executive recruitment firm reached out to Hillman to ask if she’d be interested in leading the agency, she hadn’t yet visited the gallery, but quickly fixed it.
“It’s an amazing story of resilience,” Hillman said, reflecting on her visit, adding that she wanted to see the museum.
Critics of the museum’s former leadership argued that Hillman’s outsider perspective and background in military justice—she had expertise in sexual violence and gender issues in the military—would have left the curator at the facility. I was cautiously optimistic that it would help write the next chapter of. After all, the site’s gallery has changed very little since it opened in 2014.
Elizabeth Miller, the daughter of the firefighter who died on September 11 and a former museum employee, said Hillman needs to reconsider how the day’s story is being told. “Most of the time, change is uncomfortable,” she said. “But I want to go to museums where messages of peace and inclusivity exist.”
