Geovette Washington, senior vice chancellor and chief legal officer for the University of Pittsburgh, has been elected chair of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh board of trustees.
In that role, Ms. Washington, 53, of Oakland, will lead a board of trustees that oversees Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland plus the Andy Warhol Museum and the Carnegie Science Center, both on the North Side. Out of 60 trustees, 37 are voting trustees.
In 2017, Ms. Washington joined the Carnegie Museums board of trustees and was named vice chair earlier this year.
Ms. Washington joined Pitt after serving as general counsel and senior policy adviser in the White House Office of Management and Budget from June 2013 to July 2015 during the Obama administration. She earned her law degree in 1992 at Duke University School of Law.
“I’m incredibly honored to have this opportunity to be an integral part of the Carnegie Museums story,” she said in a prepared statement.
“The four museums play such a vital role in our lives — in the education and inspiration of our children and the cultural vitality of our community. Now more than ever, we need the expansive view of the world that these world-class museums have to offer.”
Ms. Washington succeeds William E. Hunt, president of The Elmhurst Group, who has chaired the board of trustees for the past seven years.
From April 2010 through May 2013, Ms. Washington served as deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Before that, she was employed in the District of Columbia litigation firm of Baach Robinson and Lewis PLLC, now Lewis Baach, where she was an associate for four years and a partner for 10 years.
Three new term trustees were elected to the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh board:
- Carrie L. Coghill is CEO and president of Coghill Investment Strategies, a Pittsburgh-based investment management firm. Ms. Coghill chairs the board of the Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation. She also serves on The Andy Warhol Museum advisory board.
- Joan R. Stephans has chaired The Rossin Foundation since 2003. The foundation supports hospitals and organizations involved with arts and culture, patient services, and senior citizens. She also serves as a trustee of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation and is involved in the Coalition for Christian Outreach.
- Attorney Charles H. Dougherty Jr. was elected to chair the Carnegie Science Center advisory board. Since 2019, he has been associate director of intellectual property at Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation. He also serves on the boards of the Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association and the Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania.
Marylynne Pitz: mpitz@post-gazette.com or on Twitter:@mpitzpg
First Published: June 15, 2021, 5:53 p.m.
