SEATTLE, WA / ACCESS Newswire / March 11, 2026 / The Wing Luke Museum Board of Trustees is proud to announce the appointment of Christina Shimizu as its new executive director. The announcement follows a year-long comprehensive search process that took in community and staff input. Shimizu becomes the Wing Luke Museum's sixth executive director. Her first day in the role is May 11.

"The search committee, in partnership with executive search firm, Koya Partners, undertook a rigorous national search that brought us many talented candidates," says Mike Myint, Wing Luke Museum Trustee and chair of the Executive Search Committee. "After a process that involved multiple stakeholders and three rounds of interviews, Chrissy Shimizu was a unanimous choice."

Shimizu, born and raised in Seattle, is no stranger to the Chinatown-International District. She is a recognized advocate for the AANHPI and other BIPOC communities and has deep roots in the neighborhood. She previously served as executive director of Puget Sound Sage for the past five years and prior to that, was Wing Luke Museum's director of individual giving from 2017 through 2021. Shimizu brings to her role as executive director a strong background in community centered advocacy, fundraising and consensus building.

Ellen Ferguson, president of the Wing Luke Museum Board of Trustees, is enthusiastic about the selection of Shimizu and believes she embraces the Museum's community-based values.

"Christina is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of serving marginalized communities. She is energetic and effective in transition management, staff engagement and community coalition building," says Ferguson. "She brings deep ties in the C-ID community and speaks of returning to the Museum and neighborhood as ‘coming home.' We believe she embodies the crucial competencies and characteristics necessary to carry the Museum's legacy forward. We are grateful to the Executive Search Committee, Board of Trustees and staff for their dedication and time throughout the process."

During a time of nationwide uncertainty and instability within the arts and culture sector, Shimizu's unique understanding of the community, her leadership experience, and substantial community connections promise the kind of steady and consistent leadership necessary to lead the Museum.

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Shimizu is the granddaughter of Japanese American Pacific Northwest farmers. Her grandparents were WWII incarceration camp survivors, which richly informs her work. Shimizu holds a BA degree in Political Economy from the Evergreen State College. Her board and community service includes: Asian Counseling and Referral Service (2025 - present); PowerSwitchAction (2021 - present); CID Coalition (June 2020 - present); CCF (co-founder, April 2016 - July 2020); and APACE Votes (Feb. 2015 - June 2019).

About the Wing Luke Museum
The Wing Luke Museum's mission is to connect everyone to the rich history, dynamic cultures and art of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders through vivid storytelling and inspiring experiences to advance racial and social equity. As a Smithsonian Affiliate,

National Park Service Affiliated Area, and the only pan-Asian American museum in the nation, the Wing Luke Museum is a national treasure, preserving and sharing the personal stories of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. www.wingluke.org.

Note: Chrissy Shimizu will be publicly introduced during the organization's annual Dinner & Auction, New Roots, on March 21 at the Seattle Sheraton. To reserve a space at the fundraiser, visit the Museum's Dinner & Auction event page.

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Media Contact:
Steve McLean, Senior Director of Strategic Communications
Wing Luke Museum
(206) 623-5124 x 104
smclean@wingluke.org

SOURCE: Wing Luke Museum