NEW YORK, NY.- The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today two new senior appointments: Heidi Holder will join as the Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education, and Douglas Hegley will join as Chief Digital Officer. Both will start at the Museum in October.

"The Met's Digital and Educational offerings present a fully global perspective of the Museum's collection and scholarship while expanding outreach to our growing audiences; sparking curiosity and dialogue; and fostering a greater understanding of our world today," said Max Hollein, Director of the Museum. "The successful interplay of these areas is critical to furthering the Museum's mission in the 21st century, an effort that will be greatly strengthened by the vision, expertise, and commitment to learning and engagement that these two exceptional leaders bring to The Met. I look forward to welcoming them both."

The two positions will report to Inka Drögemüller, Deputy Director for Digital, Education, Publications, Imaging, Libraries, and Live Arts, who commented: "Heidi Holder and Douglas Hegley are widely respected experts in their respective fields. A champion of equity and inclusion across all museum settings, Heidi has long used education to explore and promote ways for communities to connect to art in new and exciting ways. And Douglas is at the forefront of digital work in the cultural world, developing strategies that deliver a range of engaging experiences, and he excels at cross-disciplinary coordination. I'm excited to start our work together and with our incredible teams here at The Met."




As Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education, Heidi Holder will oversee the full range of the Museum's education programs. She joins The Met from the Queens Museum, where she served as Director of Education for the past three years, overseeing the strategic planning and administration of their visual arts and museum interpretation programs and leading efforts to create evidence-based programs that respond to needs within communities. Prior to her years at the Queens Museum, she held positions at Brooklyn College and City College, where she led outreach initiatives and programs to build and strengthen relationships between the schools and their students, faculty, and communities. Notably, Holder led the implementation of funded pre-college programs aimed at increasing the presence of underrepresented students in the STEM fields and supported success for first-generation college students. Holder speaks regularly on equity in museums, and recently curated a United Nations World Council on Peoples conversation about the role of art museums in dismantling social, cultural, racial, and economic inequality. Holder holds a doctorate in Urban Education from the Graduate School and University Center, CUNY, and a B.A. in Art History and Studio Art from Brooklyn College, and was a Fellow in the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Science Research at the University of Michigan.

"For many in New York and around the world, The Met is a place of inspiration and hope—rare things in this challenging time—and I am honored to join this great institution and its world-class educational program," said Holder. "The Met's scholarship, educational programs, and expansive collection offer unique opportunities for cultural education, critical dialogue, interdisciplinary scholarship, and more. I look forward to collaborating with Max, Inka, and The Met's esteemed staff to support these unparalleled opportunities and to engaging with local and global audiences in new and exciting ways."

As Chief Digital Officer, Douglas Hegley will oversee all digital activities, programs, and initiatives at The Met. He comes to the Museum from the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), which he joined in 2011 as its first Chief Digital Officer and where he utilized his expertise in guiding organizations and staff as they adapt to the rapid pace of innovations in digital technologies. At Mia, his work focused on strategic planning, implementing new leadership models, cross-functional collaboration, inclusion and access, and team building. A staunch advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), Hegley worked closely with Mia's director on the museum's DEIA efforts as the institutional convener for MASS Action (Museum as Site for Social Action), a three-year initiative launched in 2016. Prior to Mia, Hegley worked at The Met in a variety of roles, including General Manager of Digital Strategy. A leader in his field, Hegley is a frequent public speaker and serves on the boards and committees of regional and national organizations, including the Minnesota Association of Museums, the Museum Computer Network (past president), and Museums and the Web. Douglas holds an M.A. in Psychology and School Psychology from Adelphi University in New York, and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin.

"I'm thrilled to be rejoining The Met in this digital leadership role," said Hegley. "I've focused my career on finding the best ways for museums to use technology to engage with audiences, keeping a people-focused approach that encourages curiosity, learning, and delight. I'm looking forward to working with The Met's incredible leadership and staff across all departments as together we dive into the Museum's deep and rich content to empower efforts that are underway and on the horizon."