Museum director to retire, Myers steps in as Interim

San Bernardino County Museum announces the retirement of Melissa Russo, Museum Director, effective July 29, 2022, after 7 years of service to the county. The County Museum’s Chief Deputy, David Myers, will be stepping in as Interim Director of the Museum.

Russo has been a nationally recognized leader in the museum field for over 30 years, and will continue to serve out her five-year term as an Accreditation Commissioner at the American Alliance of Museums. During her tenure at the County Museum, Russo and her team made great strides with significantly increasing annual attendance, introducing dynamic and engaging exhibits and programs, maintaining the Museum’s accreditation status and rigorous standards, and building relationships with outside agencies, nonprofits, and tribal organizations throughout the region. Notably, her emphasis on creating more robust community engagement, inclusion, and access has resulted in a co-curatorship, shared authority model of exhibit practice including all bilingual storytelling, the establishment of the discount program Museums for All, and the grant-funded development of virtual services like online educational programs, collections research, and digital exhibits.

“Melissa’s contributions to the San Bernardino County Museum have been beyond measure,” said County Chief Executive Officer Leonard X. Hernandez. “Her leadership and vision transformed the Museum into a more dynamic and representative reflection of our region’s history and culture.”

“By assembling a fantastic group of talented people who shared her vision for how the museum serves the community, it is without question that Melissa had a transformative impact on the San Bernardino County Museum,” said Assistant Executive Officer Diana Alexander.

David Myers is well-poised to lead the County Museum, having developed and implemented many of the current exhibits and programs since his hiring as the Curator of Visitor Engagement and Exhibits in 2016, and his promotion to Chief Deputy in 2020. Myers has worked as a public historian in the public sector at museums, archives, and historic sites since 2014, and holds a BA in Organizational Leadership and an MA in Public History, both from Northern Kentucky University.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.