A New Advisory Board Will Provide Strategic Guidance and Philanthropic Advocacy to Advance BAMPFA’s Mission

(Berkeley, CA) February 20, 2025—The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive announced today the formation of a new Advisory Board structure that will guide the museum into a vibrant next chapter by enhancing its national impact and increasing philanthropic giving. To advance these goals, BAMPFA is launching a National Leadership Council and Director’s Cabinet, two volunteer groups composed of influential leaders from the philanthropic, academic, cultural, nonprofit, entertainment, technology, and business communities who comprise the new BAMPFA Advisory Board. This restructuring marks a major shift from BAMPFA’s previous Board of Trustees model, engaging a slate of thought leaders while retaining existing partners to support the museum’s mission of sparking curiosity, inspiring creativity, provoking meaningful conversation, and creating community.

The National Leadership Council and Director's Cabinet will serve as complementary engines for BAMPFA’s continued success and growth, bringing together community builders, institutional champions, and transformative philanthropists who have chosen to invest their time and resources in supporting the museum. The National Leadership Council will provide philanthropic support and strategic guidance on issues of advocacy and fundraising for BAMPFA, strengthening the museum through their own contributions as well as their connections to an international network of like-minded donors. Complementing the Board’s philanthropic leadership, the Director’s Cabinet will convene a group of volunteer advisors to support BAMPFA’s advancement through strategic counsel to the museum’s Executive Director. The BAMPFA Advisory Board will convene on a semi-annual basis for fall and spring Leadership Summits.

“I am thrilled to have such an esteemed group of individuals supporting our work at BAMPFA to meet the ever-evolving challenges and opportunities of this cultural moment. The possibilities are endless, with strong advisory board members as our partners to help fuel the impact we strive to make in our communities,” said Julie Rodrigues Widholm, BAMPFA’s Executive Director. “I am so grateful to our former trustees for supporting this significant change that better aligns our advisory board structure with our peer academic art museums and allows us to better meet our philanthropic and community-building goals.”

The National Leadership Council and Director’s Cabinet will effectively supersede BAMPFA’s previous Board of Trustees, although a large majority of the museum’s former trustees have accepted appointments to one of these two bodies. UC Berkeley’s Chancellor Rich Lyons will serve on the National Leadership Council in an ex officio capacity, and two undergraduates from BAMPFA’s Student Committee, Bibi Koenig and Sophia Limoncell-Herwick, will serve on the Director’s Cabinet. A full membership list follows below, and individual leadership bios are available on request.

BAMPFA Advisory Board