TUESDAY TOPICS SEPTEMBER: John Boyer, President & CEO of the Bechtler Museum
John Boyer joined the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in 2008 as the institution’s first President and CEO. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to the celebration and analysis of the strongest aspects of mid-20th-century modernism as reflected in the holdings of the Bechtler art collection. The museum opened to the public January 2, 2010. From April, 2010 to June, 2015 John also served as curator for the museum overseeing the design and installation of 20 different exhibitions including major shows on Alberto Giacometti, Niki de Saint Phalle and Mario Botta. The museum received full accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2015—the swiftest accreditation offered by that organization since its founding in 1906.
In its seven years of operation, the Bechtler has far exceeded its attendance and membership projections, launched a broad spectrum of public and educational programs, has formed significant partnerships with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Carolinas Healthcare System, the American Institute of Architects, the Metrolina Association for the Blind, Mecklenberg County Sheriff’s Office (Jail North/Jail Central), among others. Its exhibitions have attracted significant media attention with coverage in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and a wide variety of other media outlets in this country and throughout Europe.
Prior to his move to Charlotte, John served as President and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute, a public policy agency based in New York.
A fourth generation Californian, John graduated from the University of California and the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University and then taught the history of modern art and architecture at Trinity College in Connecticut, lectured at Columbia University, Brown University and others before accepting the position of Executive Director of the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut.
During his 16-year tenure at the Mark Twain House (among the first 100 National Historic Landmarks), John expanded the institution’s property and collections, raised more than $30 million and oversaw the construction of a new LEED certified museum center. Under John’s guidance, programs at the Twain House were expanded to include national teacher institutes, major symposia and lecture series (including the participation of 14 Pulitzer Prize recipients), a city-wide festival, and award-winning exhibitions in the fine and decorative arts. During this period, he represented the museum on the CBS Sunday Morning program (twice), the Today Show, CNN, C-SPAN, and various documentaries on PBS.
In Connecticut, John’s civic roles included serving as the founding president for the Greater Hartford Tourism District and the Connecticut governor’s appointee for six years as the representative for art, history and culture on the Connecticut Tourism Council. In addition, John served on the boards of the Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau. In Charlotte he has served on the board of the Chamber of Commerce.
John is also the Independent Chair of the board for the Voya Mutual Funds family which currently oversees 152 open, closed, retail and variable funds with over $100 billion in assets managed by over 25 different sub-advisory firms. In 1997 he was a founding director of the IPI Funds as part of Aetna Financial Services where he served as Lead Independent Director, as well as Chair of the Contracts Committee and the Investment Review Committee. In 2004 the IPI Funds merged with the ING Funds where he served as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, the International, Balanced and Fixed Income Investment Review Committee and as founding Chair of the Compliance, Valuation and Proxy Committee. He also sat on the board’s three-person Executive Committee. After the final merger of the remaining two ING mutual fund boards and the creation of Voya, he has served as Independent Chair since January, 2015. In this capacity he has spoken on national panels for the Independent Directors Council, the Investment Company Institute, Morningstar’s annual fund conference and the Mutual Fund Directors Forum where he sits on their Council of Fund Leaders.
Please join your friends from the Business Leaders of Charlotte on the third Tuesday of every month minus December and a short summer hiatus. You will enjoy local leaders of the Charlotte community and have the opportunity to ask direct questions. Past speakers have included Peter Gorman, Anthony Foxx, Jennifer Roberts, Chief Monroe, Chief Putney, Sue Myrick, Danny Morrison, and Sheriff Carmichael.
OUR LOCATION:
Covenant Presbyterian Church
1000 East Morehead Street
Charlotte, NC 28204
Cost: Lunch is $7 CASH, paid through the cafeteria line (additional donations are optional, but would be appreciated).
Come network, eat lunch and then listen to one of Charlotte's people of impact.
