PITTSBURGH, PA.- Frick Art & Historical Center Director Bill Bodine announces the promotion of Christine Chambers to the position of Director of Finance and Administrative Services and the appointment of Bill Nichols to the position of Director of Operations and Visitor Services. Both are newly created senior management-level positions.
As Director of Finance and Administrative Services, Ms. Chambers’ responsibilities include management of all aspects of the museum’s financial and accounting operations, as well as ensuring the legal soundness of museum operations. She also supervises technology and human resources at the Frick, which has a total of 155 full- and part-time employees.
Mr. Nichols will oversee the Frick’s Grounds, Maintenance and Security, and Visitor Services departments, and will be responsible for all operational aspects of the 5-acre physical plant and grounds, which includes The Frick Art Museum; an historic house museum, Clayton, the Pittsburgh home of the Henry Clay Frick family; the Car and Carriage Museum; The Café at the Frick; Lexington Education Center; an administration building; a greenhouse; and the historic Frick children’s playhouse, which houses The Museum Shop and Visitor Center. He will also direct the business operations of visitor amenities, The Café at the Frick and the Museum Shop.
Ms. Chambers was hired as Senior Accountant at the Frick in 1997, and in 1998 was promoted to Controller, the position she held until her recent promotion. A native of New York City, Ms. Chambers attended Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics.
Mr. Nichols, who begins his Frick position on December 1, is relocating from Austin, Texas, where he currently serves as Director of Operations and Facilities at the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA). In that capacity, he has managed the operating infrastructure and facilities of the museum, which encompasses two locations: a Downtown art exhibition and program space, and Laguna Gloria, a historic house and art school located 5 miles away on 12 acres of grounds. Nichols’ responsibilities included security and visitor services for both sites. While at AMOA, he managed the construction of two new art school studios as well as the conversion of an historic gatehouse into an art gallery, café and visitor center, and introduced wireless technology to both primary museum sites. As a member of AMOA’s senior staff, Bill worked collaboratively with other departments to improve the visitor experience, customer service and membership sales.
“I am pleased that Chris and Bill are joining the Frick’s Management Team,” says Bill Bodine. “As our former Controller, Chris brings considerable experience, knowledge and expertise to her new position. And the Frick will benefit from Bill’s 15 years’ experience as a museum professional, with a proven track record of facility and visitor service management at an institution which, like our museum, includes a historic house, multiple buildings, varied collections, and extensive grounds. ”
