AAM President Ford W. Bell to visit the Abbe

Photo courtesy of AAM

American Alliance of Museums (AAM) President Ford W. Bell will visit the Abbe Museum this afternoon to meet with Abbe trustees, staff, and museum professionals from across the state of Maine. Bell, who has served as AAM president since 2007, is retiring on May 31, 2015.

Bell began his tenure at the helm of the AAM in June of 2007, following years working as a veterinarian and an assignment as the CEO and president of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. He had also served as chair of the board of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and was a longtime board member of the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota. Upon retirement, Bell and his wife plan to move back to Minneapolis.

The AAM counts some 3,8000 institutions across the US among its members. Its mandate includes advocating for museums on relevant issues, and establishing operational standards and best practices across the industry. Under Bell's tenure the AAM went through a major restructuring that saw its staff cut by 27 percent. He also oversaw the organization's name-change in 2012, from the American Association of Museums to the American Alliance of Museums.

During his seven years at AAM he has visited more than 450 museums across 46 states! The Abbe is incredibly honored and excited to be one of those museums!