Shakia Gullette Warren will become the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia’s new executive director following an extensive national search. Her appointment is effective May 1.

Ms. Warren is an experienced museum professional who has worked as a public historian for more than a decade, according to the museum. She earned a bachelor’s in history from Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., and served most recently as director at The Concord House Museum and Historic Site in Prince George’s County, Md.

“We are thrilled that Shakia accepted our offer to join BHMVA,” said Dr. Monroe Harris, president of the board of directors, in announcing the appointment. “Her background and knowledge, coupled with her evident passion for telling the stories of African- Americans makes her an ideal fit to lead our team.”

Some of those stories are represented in the programs and initiatives Ms. Warren created during her tenure as director of the African-American History Initiative at the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis and, prior to that, as curator of exhibitions for the Banneker-Douglass Museum in Annapolis, Md.

BHMVA recently celebrated 40 years of telling the stories of Virginia’s African-American people. Dr. Harris said the museum is eager to continue its work and find new ways to expand its reach into the community.

Ms. Warren shares in that excitement.

“I am truly honored to serve in this capacity and follow in the footsteps of the changemakers who came before me,” Ms. Warren said. “BHMVA is a remarkable institution with an extremely talented team with deep roots in Richmond’s community, and I look forward to fully immersing myself into Virginia’s rich culture and leading the institution into its next transformational stage.”