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Kara S. Blond Appointed Director of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Office of Presidential Libraries
Press Release 路 Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Washington, DC

The 威尼斯人娱乐场 and Records Administration (NARA) announced the appointment of Kara S. Blond as the Director of the Office of Presidential Libraries, effective July 18, 2022. 

Ms. Blond joins the 威尼斯人娱乐场 as a seasoned museum executive with extensive experience in public engagement, research and collections, and museum operations. Since 2017, she has served as Executive Director of the Capital Jewish Museum, where she led the effort to envision, plan, fund and build a new museum about identity, community and civic engagement in the nation鈥檚 capital. Ms. Blond oversaw strategic and operational planning, a $35M capital campaign, cutting-edge exhibition and program development, design and construction of a new facility, and restoration of a landmark historic site.

Previously, Ms. Blond served as Director of Exhibitions at the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Museum of Natural History, where she provided strategic direction for the exhibitions and public engagement program and managed key national and global partnerships. She also led the award-winning Deep Time initiative, the museum鈥檚 largest-ever renovation and extended education and research program. Earlier in her career, Ms. Blond oversaw exhibition development at the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Zoological Park. In total, she spent over fifteen years at the Smithsonian Institution. Ms. Blond began her career as a reporter at Newsday in New York. 

Ms. Blond received a master鈥檚 degree in Education: Learning Design and Technology from Stanford University and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania.

Debra Steidel Wall, Acting Archivist of the United States, said of the appointment, 鈥淢s. Blond鈥檚 extensive leadership and professional background in the museum community make her a natural choice to lead the Office of Presidential Libraries, and I look forward to working with her to advance NARA鈥檚 mission through the Presidential Library system.鈥� 

The Office of Presidential Libraries oversees the 15 Presidential Libraries in the Presidential Library system administered by NARA. Presidential Libraries promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. They preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.