Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette's career spans engineering, information technology, public service and more than two decades in education.
(Courtesy photo)
Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette is the new president and chief executive officer of Newfields in Indianapolis.
The arts, nature and cultural organization announced the hire Tuesday in a press release.
Burnette most recently served as the president and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, the oldest higher learning institution and only Historical Black College and university in Austin, Texas, according to Newfields website.
As president, Brunette significantly grew the university's endowment, launched new academic programs and new partnerships with companies including Apple, Indeed, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Merck, according to the release.
Additionally, Burnette was named the 2021 Austinite of the Year by the city’s Chamber of Commerce for her commitment to education and work as co-chair for the Mayor’s Task Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities.
“I am thrilled to become part of a team driven to meet Newfields’ mission of enriching lives purposefully and intentionally through exceptional experiences with art and nature,” Burnette said in the press release.
Newfields formed in 2017 when the Indianapolis Museum of Art announced it would unify all parts of its campus under the name Newfields, A Place for Nature and the Arts. In addition to the art museum, the campus includes Fairbanks Park, The Garden, Lilly House, and the Elder Greenhouse.
Darrianne Christian, chair of Newfield’s Board of Trustees, said in the release the search committee looked at leaders from across the country and among an impressive slate, Burnette was a clear standout.
“Her legacy has been to elevate the beloved institutions she’s led into stronger more inclusive organizations that others seek to emulate,” Christian said. “We are absolutely delighted to bring her leadership to Newfields.”
According to the release, the hiring process was shaped by input from every staffing level and department at Newfields. More than 230 applicants were considered.
Last February, Newfields President Charles Venable resigned after dozens of staff members signed a petition calling for him to go.
The petition followed a job posting for a new director that referenced maintaining the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s “core, white audience.”
The job description has been changed and the section referencing white audiences now says it seeks to “welcome and embrace a more diverse audience while maintaining the Museum’s traditional core art audience.”
Newfields officials initially said they had intended to emphasize the museum’s desire to grow non-white audiences without alienating their present white visitors.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art expressed regret for the job posting and in an emailed statement Newfields said, “We deeply regret that in our job description, in our attempt to focus on building and diversifying our core audience, our wording was divisive rather than inclusive.”
The Board of Trustees and Board of Governors also said at the time they would engage an independent committee to review Newfield’s leadership, culture and the Board of Trustees and Board of Governors in order to inclusively represent the community and its full diversity.
Burnette will officially begin her role as the new CEO on Aug. 1.
