PHOENIX, AZ.- The Heard Museum hired Patty Talahongva as its first Chief Programming and Engagement Officer, on April 28. In this newly created position, Talahongva will be responsible for building and maintaining engagement with the Heard Museum’s visitors and other stakeholders through the creation and implementation of educational programs and special events.

“Patty is a journalist who has distinguished herself by creating and presenting stories that are both educational and entertaining; this is at the heart of what the Heard Museum does with our exhibitions and programs,” said Heard Museum Dickey Family Director & CEO David Roche. “She is also a widely respected leader among Native American communities in the Southwest and beyond. Patty has been a longtime supporter of the Heard Museum and we are looking forward to working with her and know that she will enrich the Heard’s programming and expand our community engagement.”

Talahongva, Hopi from Sichomovi village located on First Mesa in northeastern Arizona, has been a journalist for more than 30 years and worked on all platforms of media including television, radio, newspaper, magazine and websites. She has covered everything from Native arts to education, health, crime and politics. Her most notable interviews include Hillary Clinton, John Herrington, Richard Simmons and Phil Collins. She's produced for CBS News, and her documentary work can be found in institutions including the Heard, the Penn Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. She is a founding member and a former vice president of the Hopi Education Endowment Fund, the Center for Native American Youth, is a past president of the Native American Journalists Association (now Indigenous Journalists Association) and received the 2016 Medill Milestone Achievement Award from NAJA.

“Joining the team at the Heard feels like coming home,” said Talahongva. “As a former advisor, a longstanding member, and my relative’s artwork featured in the collection and the shop, I have had a close connection to the Heard Museum for most of my life. The Heard has world class recognition and I am very excited to be a part of the team and engaging with our members and visitors.”

Talahongva is currently writing a book about her family's experience at the Phoenix Indian School, which she attended before Arizona State University. The book is set to be published through Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, in 2026. She also produced a documentary for FRONTLINE on the impacts of climate change on Alaska’s Native villages. It premiered on April 22 of this year, 2025.