Hickory – The final speaker scheduled as part of Lenoir-Rhyne University’s 2019 Alex Lee Leadership Lecture Series is Jon Carfagno, executive director of Hickory Museum of Art. He will share his experience and insight as a successful leader Wednesday, April 24, at 6 p.m. in the Fintel Room (room 213) of the McCrorie Center.

Carfagno joined the Hickory Museum of Art as the institution’s fifth executive director in April 2017. In his role, he has steered the reorganization of the museum’s staffing and governance model, as well as the crafting and implementation of the institution’s strategic plan.

A frequent speaker on the topics of human-centered design, methods of innovation, and organizational theory, Carfagno is most actively concerned about diversity, museum futures, and sustainability. His recent book chapters titled, “Adopting Empathy: Why Empathy Should be a Core Value for All Museums” and “Discovering the Power of Art in Forging Empathic Connections,” have contributed to international movements focused on social connectedness in museums.

Carfagno recently served as the vice president of the Board for the Museum Education Roundtable a national board that publishes the Journal of Museum Education. In the fall of 2016, he was invited to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to participate with a group of art museum education department leaders to envision a professional services organization designed to support of the future of leadership in the field.

Carfagno earned a master’s degree in art history from the University of Massachusetts and completed Kendall College of Art and Design’s MBA certificate program in design and innovation management.

He resides in Hickory, North Carolina, with his wife, Megan and his two children.

The Alex Lee Leadership Lecture Series offers a unique opportunity to attend MBA level lectures and to learn from influential professionals both locally and nationally. The series is designed to help participants understand the dynamics of leadership and identify their own administrative traits and capabilities.

All events are free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, contact Clem Geitner, LR professor of business, at [email protected] or 828.328.7346.