OGUNQUIT, ME.- The Board of Directors of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art announces the appointment of Richard D’Abate as Interim Executive Director. He will be assuming the role held by Executive Director and Chief Curator Michael Mansfield, who will step down on December 15. After a lengthy executive search, the Board selected D’Abate to serve during the transition period until a full director search can be completed.

Previously, D’Abate served as Executive Director of the Maine Historical Society in Portland, Maine from 1996-2012. He is a poet and author and currently serves on the Board of Directors at Friends of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Cornell University in New York.

“We are thrilled to have Richard’s thoughtful and skilled leadership during the transition period,” David Mallen, president of the Board of Directors said. “Richard’s years of progressive non-profit leadership experience paired with his knowledge of Maine and its history will be an asset to the museum.”

During his tenure with the Maine Historical Society, D’Abate oversaw the organizational growth, digital innovation, and capital improvements for the institution. “OMAA’s significant history and roots in American modernism are known,” D’Abate said. “I look forward to being a part of this important art institution and providing strategic guidance during the transition.”

The museum has engaged with an executive search firm to complete a nationwide search for its next Executive Director. “We have received interest from a large and talented pool of candidates,” Mallen said. “We are confident the museum’s next chapter will be an exciting one.”