BROOKLYN, NY.- The Brooklyn Museum announced today that David Berliner has become its new President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the Museum's operations and spearheading new strategic initiatives. Berliner had been a Board member and will now take a central operating role. Effective immediately, he will oversee operations and administration, financial management, outreach, and marketing and communications, and will work with Shelby White and Leon Levy Director Anne Pasternak on strategic planning and development.
"I am thrilled to work with David in pursuing an inspiring, viable path forward for our great institution," Pasternak said. "His leadership experience, innovation, and devotion to the arts, artists, and community will be instrumental to the Museum's future sustainability and growth at this exciting time. David has an incredible track record for developing people and motivating teams. I am honored that he will be coming out of retirement to lead the Museum towards a fantastic future."
"I am honored to be taking on a leadership role at the Brooklyn Museum and look forward to playing a vital role supporting and enhancing the Museum's growth," Berliner said. "The opportunity to devote my operational and management experience to serve this dynamic institution is incredibly gratifying. I am deeply committed to Brooklyn and the arts, and especially the Brooklyn Museum, and the opportunity to work in partnership with a visionary such as Anne Pasternak and an incredible leader such as Board Chair Barbara Vogelstein is a dream come true for me."
"The fact that the Brooklyn Museum could attract someone of David's experience and stature is an indication of where the Museum is going," Vogelstein said. "As a seasoned lawyer and corporate executive who is passionate about the Museum, David will make an immeasurable contribution in helping us chart an exciting trajectory."
Berliner brings outstanding leadership credentials to the Museum with more than 25 years' experience in business and the visual arts. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in 1984, Berliner earned his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1987. In 1989 he joined Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC), where he rose to Chief Operating Officer.
Berliner played a key role in the growth and success of FCRC, and was responsible for overall corporate leadership, execution of transactions, and optimizing the diverse operating portfolio of the firm. He led the complex negotiations to acquire the Brooklyn Nets NBA basketball team and played an essential role in developing the Barclays Center arena. In addition to managing all transactional and legal aspects of the project, he oversaw all operational and administrative areas of FCRC, including human resources, information technology, and external relations. He retired from FCRC in 2015.
An ardent supporter of the arts, Berliner served as the director of Forest City Ratner's arts and culture initiatives with a focus on visual art, which included a 20-year partnership with the Public Art Fund to present site-specific commissioned work by contemporary artists in the Metrotech Commons. He was also the driving force behind the celebrated visual arts program at Barclays Center, which features permanent commissioned works highlighting Brooklyn artists. Since 2008, Berliner has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization charged with the maintenance and programming of historic Madison Square Park in Manhattan. As a founding member of the Park's curatorial committee, he played a key role in sourcing and presenting the work of contemporary artists exhibited in the park, developing worldwide recognition for its innovative art program Mad.Sq.Art. He joined the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Museum in 2011 and served as its Finance Chair and Treasurer commencing in 2012. He resigned from the Board in June 2016.
