Ms. Hart has been engaged with efforts to nurture institutional excellence throughout her 25 year career in the museum field, and is an internationally sought after expert to speak, train, and advise on the US models of museum, non-profit standards, and accreditation. As Senior Director for Museum Standards and Excellence at the American Alliance of Museums, she provides leadership and oversight of the Continuum of Excellence, a pathway of standards-based programs including the Accreditation and Museum Assessment Programs, as well as AAM and field-wide standards and ethics initiatives—providing her with insight into the best practices and challenges faced by museums of all sizes and types.
Outside the museum field, she volunteers as an Ethics Standards Committee member and Peer Reviewer for accreditation program run by the Maryland Nonprofits’ Standards for Excellence Institute, and serves on grant review panels for the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Prior to joining AAM, Julie pursued her interest in American art and museum work through curatorial and collections management training at the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, and her college galleries. She holds an M.A. in Art History from The George Washington University and a B.A. in Art History and International Affairs from the University of Mary Washington.