By Steve McLean
NAP Contributor
New museum Executive Director Chrissy Shimizu. Photo courtesy: Wing Luke Museum.
The Wing Luke Museum Board of Trustees of Seattle, Washington is proud to announce the appointment of Christina Shimizu as its new Executive Director. The announcement follows a year-long comprehensive search process that included community and staff input. Shimizu becomes the museum’s sixth executive director. Her first day in the role will be May 11.
“The search committee, in partnership with executive search firm Koya Partners undertook a rigorous national search that brought us many talented candidates,” says Mike Myint, museum trustee and chair of the Executive Search Committee. “After a process that involved multiple stakeholders and three rounds of interviews, Chrissy Shimizu was a unanimous choice.”
Shimizu, born and raised in Seattle, is no stranger to the Chinatown-International District (C-ID). She is a recognized advocate for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities, and has deep roots in the neighborhood. She previously served as executive director of Puget Sound Sage for the past five years and prior to that was the museum’s Director of Individual Giving from 2017 through 2021. Shimizu brings to her role as executive director a strong background in community-centered advocacy, fundraising and consensus building.
Ellen Ferguson, president of the museum board, is enthusiastic about the selection of Shimizu and believes she embraces the museum’s community-based values.
“Christina is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of serving marginalized communities. She is energetic and effective in transition management, staff engagement and community coalition building,” says Ferguson. “She brings deep ties in the C-ID community and speaks of returning to the museum and neighborhood as ‘coming home.’ We believe she embodies the crucial competencies and characteristics necessary to carry the museum’s legacy forward. We are grateful to the Executive Search Committee, Board of Trustees and staff for their dedication and time throughout the process.”
During a time of nationwide uncertainty and instability within the arts and culture sector, Shimizu’s unique understanding of the community, her leadership experience, and substantial community connections promise the kind of steady and consistent leadership necessary to lead the museum.
Shimizu is the granddaughter of Japanese American Pacific Northwest farmers. Her grandparents were World War II incarceration camp survivors which richly informs her work. Shimizu holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy from Evergreen State College. Her board and community service includes: Asian Counseling and Referral Service (2025-present); PowerSwitchAction (2021-present); CID Coalition (June 2020-present); Christ’s Commission on Fellowship (co-founder, April 2016-July 2020); and Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civil Empowerment (APACE) Votes (February 2015-June 2019).
The Wing Luke Museum’s mission is to connect everyone to the rich history, dynamic cultures and art of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. It is told through vivid storytelling and inspiring experiences to advance racial and social equity. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, National Park Service Affiliated Area, and the only pan-Asian American museum in the nation, the museum is a national treasure. It preserves and shares the personal stories of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. www.wingluke.org.
