Tacoma Art Museum’s Board of Trustees has chosen Stephanie A. Stebich as the museum’s new Executive Director. The nearly six-month search for a new director ended Monday afternoon when the board of trustees unanimously voted to elect Stebich as the museum’s new leader.

Stebich, 39, has extensive experience in the museum field, and has held positions with nationally regarded museums such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and Guggenheim Museum in New York. Stebich has also served for professional arts organizations such as the Association of Art Museum Directors, and American Federation of the Arts.

For the past four years, Stebich has been Assistant Director at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts in Minnesota, where she has managed all aspects of the Programs and Events division, including its $2 million budget and seventeen-person staff. Stebich has also developed community partnerships and outreach programs in this capacity at the MIA, and has served in various roles for professional organizations such as the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Action Plan, and American Association of Museums (AAM).

“We found who we were looking for,” said Judith Nilan, Vice President of the Board of Trustees. “Stephanie not only has the credentials and the passion for community involvement that defines Tacoma Art Museum, but she has the energy and drive to lead this organization through its next phase.”