WALLY PARKS NHRA MOTORSPORTS MUSEUM
POMONA, CA
http://nhramuseum.org
2020
MARTIN BETZ APPOINTED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
We are pleased to announce that Martin Betz has been appointed executive director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Museum Search & Reference guided the national search, with Dan Keegan as Lead Consultant.
The Museum is affiliated with the Automobile Club of Southern California and located in Pomona, CA on the grounds of the Los Angeles County Fairplex complex, also home to the historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Founded by Wally Parks (1913-2007) and an independent nonprofit since 1998, the Museum is the only NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) motorsports museum in the country.
Betz, a longtime automotive and motorsports enthusiast, has more than 35 years of experience working in the museum and exhibition fields, managing both performing arts centers and art museums. Most recently, he was the Principal Consultant/Curator for Single Tree Arts, an independent curator/consultant firm in Redondo Beach, CA. There, he developed exhibitions and strategic partnerships focusing on diversity, oversaw strategic planning and fundraising programs, developed public art commissions and projects for arts organizations and architectural firms, and organized special events for arts and culture organizations.
Betz has also served as Cultural Arts Manager for the city of Manhattan Beach, CA; was Director of Development and Administration at Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles; President and CEO of the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center, Makawao, Maui, Hawaii; and Senior Curator/Head of the Exhibitions Department at the Long Beach Museum of Art in Long Beach, CA. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art from California State University in Fullerton, a Master of Fine Arts in Experimental Media and Sculpture from Claremont Graduate University in California, and did post-graduate work in Fresco Painting at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine.
Betz said, “Since my days at Claremont High School, within earshot of the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, I have been involved in motorsports. I have many interests ranging from European sports cars to ‘70s muscle cars (the favorite being my Lemon Yellow 1971 Buick Skylark Custom), to drag racing. I look forward to putting my expertise in museums and my passion for motorsports to work to build upon the success of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.”
In his new position, Betz will be responsible for administrative operations and fundraising initiatives for the museum. He will also be responsible for the overall management of the museum’s two biggest fundraising events: the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY, and the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, CA.
“The Board is pleased that the museum will gain the benefit of Martin’s wealth of experience in all facets of managing a successful museum," said Tom McKernan, board chairman. “Great changes are impacting museums, and many challenges must be successfully managed. Martin’s leadership, along with a dedicated staff, will help move the museum forward toward a successful future.”
The NHRA Museum celebrates the impact of motorsports on American culture. The Museum collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets the vehicles, stories, and artifacts that represent America’s affection for, and the influence of, automotive speed and style in all its forms. It is the place to view and learn about hot rods, customs, racecars and speed records, and the West Coast’s role as the historic center for the past and present development of hot rodding. The Museum is currently closed due to COVID-19 and will re-open when permitted by the State of California. For more information, visit http://nhramuseum.org.