SAN FRANCISCO, CA.- The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art announced that Dee Minnite has been appointed as the museum’s new Chief Collections, Exhibitions and Design Officer. Minnite has held the position on an interim basis since August 2023 and will transition into the permanent appointment effective immediately. SFMOMA also announced that it has promoted Sheila Shin to Chief Operating Officer. Shin previously served as the museum’s Chief Experience Officer and will begin in her new role on August 1, 2024. Shin and Minnite are both part of SFMOMA’s Executive Team and play critical roles in shaping the museum’s vision of “radical hospitality” through the creation of a broad range of exhibitions, public programs and community-focused initiatives. Their positions are essential to enacting SFMOMA’s commitment to a collaborative and inclusive work culture.

“I am delighted that both Dee and Sheila will be expanding their leadership roles within SFMOMA. Their individual expertise and keen understanding of our institutional vision and priorities are invaluable as we continue to chart the future of the museum,” said Christopher Bedford, SFMOMA’s Helen and Charles Schwab Director. “I have seen directly their dedication to our staff and our visitors and know that they will be core to imbuing SFMOMA’s values into all we do both inside and outside the museum.”

DEE MINNITE
In her role as Chief Collections, Exhibitions and Design Officer, Minnite is vital to the development of SFMOMA’s dynamic exhibition program and to the active stewardship of the museum’s expansive collection. She oversees approximately 100 team members across the Department of Exhibitions and Program Management, the Graphic and Exhibition Design Studio and the Collections Department. She is responsible for the ongoing documentation, care and growth of SFMOMA’s collection; the implementation of programmatic vision across the museum’s broad spectrum of exhibitions; and for helping identify partnerships that deepen SFMOMA’s connections and relationship to its broad and diverse community. The Chief Collections, Exhibitions and Design Officer is core to encouraging collaboration in and outside of the museum and to ensuring that programmatic decisions align with SFMOMA’s vision to embrace both new scholarship and the creation of accessible and welcoming experiences.

Minnite has extensive leadership and management experience. At SFMOMA, in addition to holding the position of Interim Chief Collections, Exhibitions and Design Officer, she has also previously served as the museum’s Director of Exhibitions and Program Management. Prior to her time at SFMOMA, she held several senior positions, between 2012 and 2021, at the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA), including most recently Associate Director of Exhibitions. At OMCA, she was responsible for overseeing staff across the production and project management departments and worked actively to consider and finalize exhibition subjects and timelines with leadership and staff members; and supported financial campaigns and budgets. She also previously worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Minnite holds an M.A. in Art History from the University of Delaware and a B.A. in Art History from The College of William and Mary.

SHEILA SHIN
Shin has been with SFMOMA since April 2020, serving in increasingly senior roles: Assistant Director of Marketing – Advertising and Promotions, Director of Brand Marketing and Sales, Interim Chief Marketing Officer, and most recently as Chief Experience Officer. In her new role as Chief Operating Officer, she will oversee a wide range of SFMOMA’s internal departments, including Visitor Experience, Marketing & Communications, Retail, Facilities and Operations and the People Team, among others. Her deep knowledge of the institution will ensure the implementation of a holistic vision and strategy across departments and support the development and growth of the museum’s internal team. Shin’s perspective and work will be central to advancing SFMOMA’s vision of being an audience-focused and welcoming space that offers a spectrum of experiences that engage with visitors’ different interests.

As Chief Experience Officer, Shin was responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns that led to increased visitation to the museum and for re-envisioning the museum’s retail model to better meet customer needs and purchasing habits. Prior to SFMOMA, Shin oversaw marketing strategy for the San Francisco Symphony in increasingly senior roles, ultimately serving as the Associate Director of Marketing and leading campaigns during key periods of transition, including Michael Tilson Thomas’s 25th and final season and the introduction and inaugural season of director Esa-Pekka Salonen. Shin formerly managed marketing and media creation at LG Electronics, working closely with Research & Development teams to foster a deep understanding of consumer needs and behavior. A Chicago native, Shin attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) studying Film, Video, New Media and Animation.