During its recent end-of-year meeting, the Board of Directors of The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (The Lewis Museum) voted to name Terri Lee Freeman as the organization’s President effective immediately. Freeman has served as Executive Director of The Lewis Museum since December 2020.
The Board also voted on its Officers for the 2023-2025 term and returned all current members to their respective roles. They include:
Drew Hawkins, Chair
President, EdYouCore Sports & Entertainment
Ricky D. Smith, Sr., Vice Chair
Executive Director/CEO, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport
Thomasina Poirot, Esq., Secretary
Venable
Martin B. King, Esq., Treasurer
Attorney, Gorman & Williams
“This was a change in title that was long overdue and well-deserved,” said Board Chair Hawkins. “President is more appropriate given the scope of the role and its responsibilities. It is also a testament to Terri’s strength as leader. This decision puts us in alignment with our peer institutions and the executives who lead them. The board is excited about what lies ahead.”
Freeman, who previously served as President of the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) in Memphis, Tennessee, before joining The Lewis Museum, has helped steer the 18-year-old institution through one of its most challenging periods, navigating the impacts of the global pandemic and reaffirming its value propositions as a centerpiece to the state’s cultural offerings; an anchor institution in Baltimore City; and a public square for conversations on art, history, culture, and community. In 2022, she led the museum’s team through a strategic planning process that included reevaluating its mission, vision, and values and identifying five strategic imperatives to guide its work over the next five years. Nationally and internationally renowned exhibitions and in-person and virtual public programming have also returned over the past year, contributing to upticks in visitorship, museum shop revenue, and individual support.
“There are so many opportunities awaiting The Lewis Museum,” said Freeman. “I’m pleased with this vote of confidence from our Board of Directors and look forward to continuing to build on our work to connect Maryland’s past to its present in a meaningful and substantial way.”
A respected authority on leadership and philanthropy, Freeman is responsible for providing strategic leadership in furthering the museum’s mission as an educational and cultural institution. The five-year strategic plan that culminates in a planned renovation of the museum’s permanent history exhibition and continued growth in visitors, membership, funding support, and community outreach.
Prior to joining The Lewis Museum, Freeman served as President of the National Civil Rights Museum for six years. During her tenure, she broadened the Museum’s reputation as the new public square. She oversaw the Museum’s MLK50 commemoration, an international commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and designed and executed signature programming like “Unpacking Racism for Action,” a seven-month-long dialogue program delving into issues of implicit bias and structural racism.
Freeman is no stranger to the DMV area. Prior to joining the NCRM, Ms. Freeman served as President of the Greater Washington Community Foundation for 18 years. She distinguished herself for her community building and her ability to grow the Foundation’s reputation as an effective and strategic funder in the metropolitan DC region.
Her intense passion for the nonprofit sector and community was nurtured while serving as the founding executive director of the Freddie Mac Foundation; at the time, one of the five largest corporate foundations in the metropolitan Washington region.
Freeman currently serves on the boards of BoardSource, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Visit Baltimore, and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Dayton where she was named an Outstanding Alum in 2020. In December 2020, the Memphis Magazine identified her as Memphian of the Year. A frequently sought-after speaker, Ms. Freeman lives by the saying that what is most important is what people say about you when you aren’t in the room.
Freeman received her bachelor’s degree in journalism/communication arts from the University of Dayton and her master’s degree in organizational communication management from Howard University.
About the Reginald F. Lewis Museum
Located two blocks from Inner Harbor in Downtown Baltimore, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture – a Smithsonian Affiliate – documents, interprets, and preserves the complex experiences, contributions, and culture of Black people. It serves as a catalyst of sustained change by providing robust programs and exhibitions and bold conversations that educate and challenge. Founded in 2005, the 82,000-square-foot facility accommodates over 13,000 square feet of permanent and temporary exhibition space, hosting more than 11,000 objects in our permanent collection, special exhibitions, educational programs, and public events. For up-to-date information regarding programs and exhibits and to plan your timed admission, visit www.lewismuseum.org, or follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @LewisMuseum or on Facebook @RFLewisMuseum.
