Alissandra Cummins is elected President of ICOM

19 November 2004

Alissandra Cummins from Barbados was elected President of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) on October 8th, 2004, in Seoul (Korea, Rep. of).

It is the first time that ICOM, created in 1946, has elected a woman as President. She succeeds Jacques Perot (France), President of ICOM from 1998 to 2004.

Following a degree in Museum Studies in 1989 from Leicester University (United Kingdom), Alissandra Cummins began her career as Research Assistant at the Museum of Mankind, (United Kingdom). She became Deputy Director of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society , St. Michael (Barbados), before taking over as Director in 1985.

Alissandra Cummins is Chairperson of the Barbados National Commission for UNESCO. She was the Vice-chairperson of ICOM Museum Association of the Caribbean (ICOM-MAC) from 1989 until 1992. From 1998 to 2001, she was a Member of the UNESCO Executive Board. She has widely contributed to the influence and protection of Cultural Heritage in her country in 1999, by becoming Special Envoy for Cultural Heritage in Barbados.

The newly elected Chairperson will be heading an Organisation with a network of 20.000 museums and museum professionals, spread over five continents.
In the next three years, Ms. Cummins will chair an Executive Council made up of 16 members, also elected during ICOM's 21st General Assembly in Seoul:

Vice-Presidents: Amareswar Galla (Australia) and Martin Schaerer (Switzerland)
Treasurer: Nancy Hushion (Canada)
Members: Gary Edson (United States) ; Elisabet Olofsson (Sweden) ; George Okello Abungu (Kenya) ; Hans-Martin Hinz (Germany) ; Per Bjørn Rekdal (Norway) ; Jongsok Kim (Korea, Rep. of) ; Michel Van-Praët (France) ; Tereza C. Moletta Scheiner (Brazil) ; Marie Christine Van der Sman (Netherlands) ; W. Richard West, Jr. (United States) ; Xiangyi Li (China) ;
Ex-officio: Günther Dembski (Austria), Chairperson of the Advisory Committee The Advisory Committee, which is composed of the Chairpersons of the National Committees, International Committees and Affiliated Organisations, elected Günther Dembski (Austria) as Chairperson and Virgil Nitulescu (Romania) as Vice-Chairperson for the period 2004-2007.