Michael Bowers appointed Chief Operating Officer

The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) appointed Michael Bowers as the nonprofit’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO). He joins the DZS after spending the past seventeen years at Corewell Health, serving most recently as its Vice President of Planning, Design and Construction. Bowers was chosen after an extensive search led by Senior Search Consultant Ida Tomlin. He began work in August. 

 As COO, Bowers will lead and oversee a number of teams, including the nonprofit’s construction, facilities, operations, security, and sustainability departments—all dedicated to the DZS’s mission of “creating meaningful connections between people, animals, and the natural world, so all can thrive.” Bowers stated, “At the core of facility operations in healthcare, our role was to provide safe, compliant and comfortable environments for patients, visitors, and staff, and those same principles apply to operations at the DZS, concentrating on the critical and unique habitats and environments for the animals under our care.”  

 Bowers has twenty years of experience in the construction and project-management fields, having previously worked at Beaumont Health (before its merger with Spectrum Health to transition to Corewell Health) and Lausman Homes. He is an expert in planning, designing, and executing complex projects and has led teams throughout his career—spearheading many projects including the development of Corewell Health’s strategic and master plans. 

 “Mike has achieved many notable accomplishments throughout his career, and we are thrilled to have him join the DZS team,” said Dr. Hayley Murphy, Executive Director and CEO. “As we continue to shape the future of the DZS through our strategic and master planning processes, Mike will be an invaluable addition, as we work toward igniting positive change for animals and nature.” 

 Bowers is a native Michigander who grew up in Troy, Michigan. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Building and Construction Management from Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Daniel Kurt Ackermann appointed Director

Daniel Kurt Ackermann has been named director of Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, the historic house museum for American decorative arts at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. MS&R Senior Search Consultant Connie Rosemont led the national search.

Leela Outcalt appointed Chief of Collections Care

We are pleased to announce that, after an international search led by Museum Search & Reference Senior Search Consultant Ida Tomlin, the Royal Ontario Museum has appointed Leela Outcalt as Chief of Collections Care. In this newly created role, Outcalt is responsible for the direct management of ROM’s extensive permanent collections, including over 13 million objects and specimens in 27 different disciplines spanning art, culture, and nature. A member of the senior management team and a key partner in long-range institutional planning, the CCC reports to the Deputy Director, Collections & Research and Chief Innovation Officer. 

Leeann Ream appointed Curator

The Cahoon Museum of American Art on Cape Cod has appointed Leeann Ream as Curator. She will begin in July 2024. MS&R Senior Search Consultant Dan Yaeger led the nationwide search.

Ream has enjoyed a successful career in museums across the Midwest, including stints at the Toledo Museum of Art, Chicago History Museum, and most recently in Wisconsin at the Logan Museum at Beloit College as Assistant Curator as well as Postgraduate Fellow for the Center for Collections Care. Her curatorial interests have been in art-focused issues of gender, labor, and Indigenous art. She is also experienced in collections management and interpreting art for the public. Ream holds an M.A. in Museum and Exhibition Studies from the University of Illinois Chicago and a B.F.A. from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Cahoon Museum Executive Director Sarah Johnson said, “We are so happy to have Leeann join us in this important position. Her deep knowledge and love of American art, as well as her experience in collections and visitor services, will make an important contribution to moving the Cahoon Museum into the next phase of its success.” Johnson noted that for more than ten years she has acted as both Executive Director and Curator, so Ream’s hiring represents the first time the museum has had a dedicated curator.

“I am excited to contribute to the Cahoon Museum, which is such a gem of a museum and so important to Cape Cod and beyond,” said Ream. “The story of Ralph and Martha Cahoon is significant in the history of American folk art, making the museum, which is located in their home studio, a special place.”

Chris Warden appointed Executive Director

The C.M. Russell Museum board of directors named Chris Warden as the museum’s new executive director. He will begin July 30th. Warden is a Great Falls native with a 30-year career in business and decades of nonprofit board service. Warden will relocate to Great Falls and will begin work in July 2024. He was selected after a national search led by Senior Search Consultant, Suzanne Tan.  

Warden has served two decades as vice president of technology at the Washington Companies in Missoula, where he has led the technology, communications, and continuous improvement teams for the Dennis Washington-owned companies across North America. He and his family returned to Montana in 2004, after working in Silicon Valley, Calif.  

In addition to serving on the C.M. Russell Museum board, Warden has served on the boards of the Foundation for Montana History, Leadership Montana, Watson Children’s Shelter, and Missoula Sunrise Rotary. He also has also sat on advisory boards at the University of Montana and currently serves on the Montana steering committee for the Jeannette Rankin Foundation. Warden recently received the Tom Scott Award for Excellence in Leadership, named in honor of the founder of First Interstate Bank and a founder of Leadership Montana, for his significant contributions to Leadership Montana and the state. Warden is a graduate of C.M. Russell High School and the University of Montana. 

Warden has served two decades as vice president of technology at the Washington Companies in Missoula, where he has led the technology, communications, and continuous improvement teams for the Dennis Washington-owned companies across North America. He and his family returned to Montana in 2004, after working in Silicon Valley, Calif.  

In addition to serving on the C.M. Russell Museum board, Warden has served on the boards of the Foundation for Montana History, Leadership Montana, Watson Children’s Shelter, and Missoula Sunrise Rotary. He also has also sat on advisory boards at the University of Montana and currently serves on the Montana steering committee for the Jeannette Rankin Foundation. Warden recently received the Tom Scott Award for Excellence in Leadership, named in honor of the founder of First Interstate Bank and a founder of Leadership Montana, for his significant contributions to Leadership Montana and the state. Warden is a graduate of C.M. Russell High School and the University of Montana.