Newfields chooses Field Museum executive as its new CEO

Nine months after the abrupt departure of former Newfields CEO and president Colette Pierce Burnette, the art and nature campus has hired someone new to fill the role. The home of the Indianapolis Museum of Art announced Monday that LeMonte G. Booker Sr. will start in the position in late October.

Booker is coming from Chicago's Field Museum, where he has been chief financial officer and oversaw facilities planning and operations, grants administration and institutional construction projects, according to a news release from Newfields. He joined the natural history museum in 2015, according to the Field's website .

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"I am thrilled to start my next chapter as the CEO of Newfields, which is an outstanding example of a cornerstone cultural institution in the unique position of having both a world-class art collection as well as important gardens and historic homes," Booker said in the news release. "I look forward to working with the Board, staff and Central Indiana community to continue to meet the mission of enriching lives through exceptional experiences with art and nature at this special institution."

Before the Field, Booker worked in senior management positions at several nonprofits, including as chief financial officer at Easter Seals and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Financial Executives International Chicago selected Booker as a finalist for CFO of the Year in the midsize not-for-profit category in 2023. Booker also has served on the Board of Directors for the CPA Endowment Fund and as president of the CFO Roundtable of Chicago.

“Mr. Booker possesses the right mindset, temperament, aptitude and leadership skills needed for this role," said Newfields' Board of Trustees Chair Darrianne Christian. "Mr. Booker stood out not only for meeting all of our initial search criteria, but also for bringing fresh perspectives we hadn’t previously considered to the process. His extensive museum experience gives him a comprehensive understanding of how institutions like Newfields need to operate to thrive."

Booker graduated from DePaul University and the Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University with a master's in business administration, according to his LinkedIn profile. In his free time, Booker enjoys mentoring underprivileged youths and young adults, hiking in Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, weightlifting, basketball and reading, according to the release.

Since Burnette exited in November, Michael Kubacki, a former vice chair of Newfields' Board of Trustees, has served as interim CEO and president.

It remains unclear whether Burnette resigned or was terminated. Newfields has not offered an explanation of what happened, citing its practice of not disclosing internal employment matters. Burnette has declined comment when reached by IndyStar.

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After her exit, members of the public protested, questioning Newfields' commitment to diversity and inclusion promises made in the wake of a controversial 2021 job description that called to maintain its "traditional, core, white art audience" while diversifying its visitors. In the two months following Burnette's departure , five trustees and four members of the non-governing, community advocacy-forward Board of Governors resigned.

In February, Newfields announced the national search for its next CEO. The search committee comprised several trustees and Kubacki, who worked with firm Koya Partners, according to the museum. Newfields reported that the group reviewed more than 200 applications for the role before interviewing finalists. Koya and the search committee invited input from staff, docents, volunteers and members, according to the release.

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Newfields chooses Field Museum executive as its new CEO