The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has added two new board members, entertainment entrepreneur Darnell Strom and banker Dawson Her Many Horses, the first Native American board member to join the board, which has 19 members and 19 alumni members. Both men were approved by the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents in January, and the museum board’s March 3–4 meeting was their first. They have joined the board’s nominating committee responsible for identifying prospective board membership.
The board, led by Chair Enrique Segura, Ph.D., and its vice chair, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Barbara H. Franklin, was established in 1996 and includes historians, business leaders, congressional members and philanthropists and has an active alumni representation. Members advise the director and her leadership team on programs, exhibitions, facilities, development and finance. A complete list of board members and alumni can be found here. Ex officio members of the board include the museum director, the Smithsonian’s Secretary and the Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Museums and Culture.
“I am honored to welcome Dawson and Darnell to our museum board, and I am very grateful for their service and support,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum’s Elizabeth MacMillan Director. “Their leadership, skills and perspectives will help us reflect the many different voices of the Americans we serve.”
Based in Las Vegas, Her Many Horses is the head of Native American Banking for Wells Fargo. A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, he grew up on the tribe’s South Dakota reservation. A political science major at Columbia University, he planned to become a lawyer, but a job in the office of general counsel at Merrill Lynch turned into a career of investment banking focused on the casino industry. He has worked as a senior vice president for Wells Fargo since 2018. Her Many Horses also sits on the Center for Indian Country Development’s Leadership Council at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He served on the national council of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian from 2013 to 2016. Currently, he is the co-chair of the Native American Visiting Committee at Dartmouth College. He graduated from Columbia in 2004 and received his Master of Business Administration from Dartmouth in 2010.
Strom is a partner and head of the Culture and Leadership Division at the global talent and entertainment company United Talent Agency, where he leads the agency’s efforts to expand the cultural and business influence across platforms for its top clients in media, sports, entertainment, music, fashion, the arts, branding and thought leadership. Based in Los Angeles, Strom was previously an agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) where he set strategy and developed relationships for major clients, including individual artists and top brands, across multiple platforms, including television, motion pictures, publishing, digital communications and technology. His previous work as an executive at the CAA Foundation led him to advise artists and large corporations on their philanthropic and pro-social initiatives. Strom’s career in politics includes work as deputy director for former President Bill Clinton as well as work on former Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign. He also served on former President Barack Obama’s White House Entertainment Council. He graduated with honors from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in political science.
Her Many Horses and Strom join the rejuvenated museum whose 2020–2030 strategic plan centers on the challenge to become the country’s most accessible, inclusive, relevant and sustainable public history institution and to fulfill that role by serving an audience that reflects the full racial, class, gender, ethnic and geographic demographics of the United States.
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily, except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, PK–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
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