Debra Wimpfheimer Appointed Director of Queens Museum

Debra Wimpfheimer Appointed Director of Queens Museum

TheQueens Museumin New York has announcedDebra Wimpfheimeras its new executive director. A native of Queens, Wimpfheimer has worked for the institution on and off since 2002, most recently as deputy director. She will succeedSally Tallant, whois set to become the director of London’s Hayward Gallerythis July.

Wimpfheimer has held senior development positions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Boston Medical Center; and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Among the roles she occupied during her tenure at theQueens Museumare director of external affairs and director of strategic partnerships. An experienced fundraiser with a background in education initiatives, she has twice served as interim director.

“No one knows the Queens Museum like Debra,” Queens Museum board chair Paula Kirby said in a statement. “Her many years of dedication have already shaped the Museum’s successes and as we look to the future, her experience and deep-rooted connection to Queens will be integral to reinforcing our role as a community-led institution.

In her new role, Wimpfheimer will be tasked with overseeing day-to-day operations as well as the completion of the 15,000-square-foot Suna Children’s Museum, an expansion operating under the aegis of the Queens Museum.