After 17 years as the Whatcom Museum’s executive director, Patricia Leach will retire on March 31, 2025.
She oversaw “transformative changes” during her tenure, and will retire with 42 years of executive director-level experience, according to a Nov. 12 news release. The museum will soon begin a search for a new director.
“I cannot believe it has been more than 17 years at the Whatcom,” Leach said in the release. “There always seemed to be a new challenge or opportunity, and I have enjoyed immensely working with such a stellar group of professionals and trustees who all share the same vision for this amazing institution.”
Leach arrived at the museum in 2007, following her role as CEO of Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage in Nashville, Tennessee. At the Whatcom Museum, she oversaw the opening of the Lightcatcher Building, Family Interactive Gallery (FIG) and new storage vaults for the museum’s extensive collections. Additionally, she championed restoration of the museum’s oldest collection, the John M. Edson Hall of Birds in Old City Hall.
Leach also directed expansion, development and openings for new exhibitions, most notably “People of the Sea and Cedar” in the Lightcatcher building. The gallery was created in 2017 alongside members of the Lummi National Cultural Department. It was updated this year to highlight contemporary artwork, as well as current cultural and environmental issues, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“Leading the Whatcom Museum on this evolving journey has been so rewarding, and it has been an honor to work with such a dedicated group of Indigenous advisors and professional staff members,” Leach said. “I am proud of our progress toward removing colonizing practices found in all our nation’s museums and our strong effort to be so much more inclusive and diverse.”
Finally, Leach established the Whatcom Museum as a Smithsonian Affiliate and oversaw its 2018 re-accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums. Out of 33,000 museums in the U.S., the Whatcom Museum is one of just 1,113 to be accredited by the organization.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
