PITTSBURGH, PA.- The Carnegie Museum of Art today announced that board member William E. Hunt assumed the position of chairman, effective June 2, 2006. Hunt succeeds Marcia Gumberg, who has served as chairman since 2000. Gumberg will continue to serve on the board as emerita trustee.

"We are delighted that Bill, with his broad experience, has agreed to be chairman," says Gumberg. "He will be an invaluable contribution to the board, as they work to further the museum's mission."

"Carnegie Museum of Art holds such a unique place, not only in the community, but in the entire art world," says Hunt. "I am honored to be chairman and look forward to working with the museum's dedicated staff and board and to building on the great work that's already been accomplished."

Hunt, who joined the board of Carnegie Museum of Art in 2000, is president and chief executive officer of Elmhurst Corporation, a real estate development firm that owns and manages more than two million square feet of office and distribution space in the Pittsburgh region. In addition to his board role at Carnegie Museum of Art, Hunt is a trustee and member of the executive committee of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, trustee of the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, and a member of the board of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. He also has served as chairman of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, president of the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties, and president of Pittsburgh Public Theater.

"Board and staff welcome Bill Hunt's leadership, and we anticipate continued success in collecting art and presenting great exhibitions to the region," says Richard Armstrong, the Henry J. Heinz II director of Carnegie Museum of Art.