SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 13, 2025—The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco announce the election of David Spencer as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums (“COFAM”), which oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco ("the Museums"). Spencer, a long-standing trustee and member of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Executive Committee, is a key supporter of the institution’s tech advancement as the former inaugural Chair and a continuing member of the Technology Committee. A Bay Area resident, Spencer is also a champion of access and inclusion at the Museums. As Chair, Spencer will guide the institution’s long-term strategic direction in alignment with the Museums’ 2025 Strategic Plan. Spencer will also lead the associated governing board as President of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Board of Trustees. Spencer, who succeeds Jason E. Moment, will begin his term May 20.

David Spencer said: "It is a tremendous privilege and opportunity to assume the Board leadership of the Museums at this exciting time. With a rich and vibrant exhibition program, a thriving audience, and ambitious plans for the future, I look forward to working closely with Thomas Campbell and the talented museum team, members of the board, mayor Daniel Lurie and city leadership to ensure the de Young and Legion of Honor continue to play a key role in the recovery of our dynamic city.”

“With exciting and ambitious plans in place for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s next several years, I am delighted that our board has elected David Spencer as its next Chair,” said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “David has been a pillar of our board for 15 years, serving as the first Chair of the Board’s Technology Committee from 2012 to 2019, and continually strengthening the Board’s work, and the Museum’s digital initiatives through his thoughtful leadership. I look forward to working closely with David in the months and years ahead, and to continued partnership with the Board. I am grateful to Jason for his steadfast leadership of the Board through the challenging pandemic, and post-pandemic periods.”

“It has been my pleasure to serve as the Chair of the COFAM Board over the past six years. Emerging from the volatile pandemic period, the institution has in a brief time rebuilt audience numbers and engagement to near pre-pandemic levels” added Jason E. Moment “I welcome David Spencer as my successor, and can’t wait to see where the de Young and Legion of Honor go next under his and Thomas Campbell’s vision and leadership.”

About David Spencer

An entrepreneur in holistic healing, David Spencer most recently founded the San Francisco wellness center SenSpa in the Presidio. Before that he spent six years conducting community outreach for the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants, after founding BayKids, a nonprofit that teaches filmmaking to children with serious illnesses. Spencer has a strong track record of service to and community engagement across Bay Area organizations and beloved institutions, including Creativity Explored, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Commonwealth Club.

Spencer continues the tradition of supporting the Fine Arts Museums started by his grandfather John D. Rockefeller III who made a transformative gift of American art to the Museums that is a cornerstone of the world-renowned collection on view at the de Young museum. He is a trustee of the Florence Academy of Art, holds an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, as well as a BA in political science from Claremont McKenna College.

About the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, comprising the de Young in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in San Francisco.

The de Young museum originated from the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park. The present copper-clad landmark building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, opened in 2005. Reflecting an active conversation among cultures, perspectives, and time periods, the collections on view include American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the 17th to the 21st centuries; arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; costume and textile arts; and international modern and contemporary art. The Legion of Honor was modeled after the neoclassical Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris. The museum, opened in 1924, offers unique insight into the art historical, political, and social movements of the previous 4,000 years of human history, with holdings including ancient art from the Mediterranean basin; European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; and the largest collection of works on paper in the American West. In 2025, the Legion of Honor museum is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a series of exhibitions, programming, and new visitor resources.

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are located on land unceded by the Ramaytush Ohlone, who are the original inhabitants of what is now the San Francisco Peninsula. The greater Bay Area is also the ancestral territory of other Ohlone peoples, as well as the Miwok, Yokuts, and Patwin. We acknowledge, recognize, and honor the Indigenous ancestors, elders, and descendants whose nations and communities have lived in the Bay Area over many generations and continue to do so today.

Media Inquiries

Helena Nordstrom, Director of Communications, hnordstrom@famsf.org