CEO Roundtable Facilitators

AAM 2026 CEO Roundtable Programming

The CEO Roundtable at AAM 2026 is a peer-to-peer exchange created by and for museum CEOs and Executive Directors.

AAM is currently inviting museum directors to serve as roundtable conversation facilitators on a topic of their choice. Below is a list of possible conversation topics, but other topics are welcome. Museum CEOs interested in serving as conversation facilitators should submit a two or three-sentence description of the topic (not exceeding 125 words) and a topic title (not exceeding 10 words) to John Wetenhall at jwetenhall@gwu.edu no later than Friday, March 13.  But please don’t delay—priority will be given to early submissions.

Note: all conversations take place at roundtables holding about 10 people each. Facilitators are expected to introduce their topics and moderate discussion, but A/V will not be available and no formal presentations are expected.

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Governance
Potential conversation topics:
Board Development & Community Representation, Board Culture & Leadership, Succession Planning, Strategic Planning, Managing Difficult Boards or Board Members

Financial Sustainability
Potential conversation topics:
Fundraising, Donor Relationships, Financial Trust & Accountability, New Ways to Earn Revenue, Challenges of Federal & State Funding, Budgeting for Sustainability & Flexibility

Museum Expansion, Renovation, New construction
Potential conversation topics:
Capital Campaigns, Architectural Planning, Financing, Accessibility, Environmental Sustainability

Organizational Culture
Potential conversation topics:
Aligning Priorities with Values, Defining and Building Organizational Culture, Staff Diversity, Internal Communication, Working Across Generations, Unionization, Prioritizing Professional Development, Recruitment & Retention

Leadership
Potential conversation topics:
21^st Century Leadership Skills, Professional Renewal, Ethics, Conflict Mediation, Leading Change, Cross-sector Learning, Emotional Intelligence & Self-Awareness, Aligning Career & Organizational Goals

Audiences and Community
Potential conversation topics:
Audience/Market Research, Organizational Messaging, Aligning Programs & Collections around Audience Building, Enfranchising Underrepresented Communities, Fostering Trust, Changing Demographics & Generational Challenges, Big Data, Polarization

Crisis Management and Communications
Potential conversation topics:
Planning for Crises, Security & Risk Management, Staff Transition, Conflicts of Interest, Embezzlement, Stolen Artifacts, Cybersecurity, Censorship & Self-Censorship, Navigating Politics, Combating Misinformation  

Idiosyncrasies of Specialized Institutions
Potential conversation topics:
College & University Museums, Science Museums, House Museums, Non-Collecting Exhibition Spaces, Children’s Museums, Living Collections, and more

Technology
Potential conversation topics:
Technology Infrastructure, Digital Asset Management, Social Media, Immersive Experiences, Artificial Intelligence

Global Issues
Potential conversation topics:
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, Global Conflicts that Impact Museums, International Exchange/Collaboration, Decolonization, Repatriation, Impacts of Immigration Enforcement

The Unique Challenges of Directing Museums
Potential conversation topics:
Establishing Work/Life Balance, Finding Time to Work with Collections, Thought Leadership, Teaching & Mentoring, Service to the Museum Field, Challenges for New Directors, Planning for Life After the Director’s Role