MNA Names New Director, CEO

Carrie Heinonen to Succeed Dr. Robert Breunig

at Museum of Northern Arizona

The Museum of Northern Arizona has named Carrie M. Heinonen director and CEO to succeed Dr. Robert Breunig. Heinonen has more than 20 years’ experience with both nonprofit and Fortune 100 organizations, including brand-management roles at Wm. Wrigley Jr. and Quaker Oats/Pepsico. Most recently, she served as president and director of the Musical Instrument Museum. From 2005 to 2011, she served as the vice president of marketing and public affairs at the Art Institute of Chicago, the country’s second largest art museum, where she established the marketing department, rebranded the museum and led communications for the launch of the museum’s Modern Wing.

Having grown up in Tucson, Heinonen received her bachelor’s in art history from Dartmouth College and her master’s in public and private management from the Yale School of Management. She has worked in the curatorial department at the Heard Museum conducting research for The Boarding School Experience exhibition, studied Maori art in New Zealand, and lived and worked with the White Mountain Apache tribe.

Breunig, 69, first joined MNA in 1975 and returned in 2003 as president and CEO. From January until his retirement in June 2015, he will retain the title of president and focus on the renovation of MNA’s ethnology gallery. The project will showcase more of the museum’s world-class collection and include greater representation of native voices.