San Francisco, California - December 18, 2012 - The Museum of the African Diaspora's (MoAD) Board of Directors has elected L. Wade Rose as its next Board Chair. Rose joined the museum board in 2008. He brings to the Board a wealth of experience, having been director in a number of non-profit organizations, and is currently Chair of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and sits on the Boards of SPUR and the San Francisco State University Foundation. Alongside Rose, Deborah Santana, current board member and longtime museum supporter will serve as MoAD's Vice Chair.

Rose is Vice President of External and Government Relations for Dignity Health. Dignity Health has been a major supporter of MoAD along with Wells Fargo and AT&T.  Rose is responsible for developing strategic leadership relations between Dignity Health and key external organizations. Based in San Francisco, Dignity Health is the largest hospital provider in California and the Western U.S. The Dignity Health network of 40 hospitals, including St. Mary's and Saint Francis in San Francisco, more than 10,000 physicians and approximately 60,000 employees serve a population spanning 22 million people across California, Arizona, and Nevada.

"Dignity Health has been supporting MOAD because of its unique mission," said Rose. "MoAD is one of only a few organizations in the country that is dedicated to showing through the arts and culture how we are all related.  San Francisco is fortunate to have this important organization located in our city."

Preceding his involvement with Dignity Health, Rose served on the staff of Governors (Jerry) Brown and Deukmejian, and was responsible for external relations and development at the UC Irvine and USC schools of medicine.

Deborah Santana, elected as MoAD's vice chair, is an author, peace activist and philanthropist. She is founder of Do A Little, a non-profit that serves women and girls in the areas of health, education and happiness. Her memoir, Space Between the Stars: My Journey to an Open Heart, was published in 2005.

Santana notes, "MoAD is an important cultural and educational destination in Northern California. The rich exhibits and extensive educational programs add a global diversity to the Bay Area arts community."

Santana, a mentor of girls and young women, also serves as a board member for ANSA (Artists for a New South Africa), and is a supporter of Marian Wright Edelman's Freedom Schools in New Orleans. She has produced two documentary films with Emmy-award winning director Barbara Rick: Road to Ingwavuma, and Girls of Daraja, each film depicting the collaborative work of non-profit partners in South Africa and Kenya.

Santana has received numerous awards, including the Women of Distinction Award Founder Region Soroptimist International of the Americas, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award in Marin County, Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy Catalyst Award. She was named to Marin County Women's Hall of Fame in 2007. This year she was named as one of Women's eNews 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.

"I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work with Wade in partnership with Deborah because of their deep commitment to MoAD and to realizing our shared goals and vision for the future," said Grace C. Stanislaus, MoAD's Executive Director. "Their leadership of our dynamic Board of Directors is coming just at the right time as MoAD is poised at its seventh anniversary to launch into an ambitious and exciting new phase of its development.

About the Museum of the African Diaspora

The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) showcases the history, art and the cultural richness thatresulted from the dispersal of Africans throughout the world with innovative and engaging exhibitions, education and public programs. Incorporated in 2002 as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, MoAD opened its doors  in 2005 in space contiguous with the St. Regis Hotel and Residences and in the historic Williams Building  at 685 Mission Street at Third Street. MoAD was conceived as a cornerstone of the revitalization of downtown San Francisco, and has become an anchor with its neighbors San Francisco MoMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Children's Creativity Museum (formerly Zeum) and the Contemporary Jewish Museum, in making this dynamic cultural corridor a premier destination.

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Museum of the African Diaspora

685 Mission Street (at Third), San Francisco, CA 94105 | www.moadsf.org | 415.358.7200

Museum Hours
Wednesday-Saturday: 11:00 am-6:00 pm | Sunday 12:00-5:00 pm | Monday-Tuesday: CLOSED

Admission Prices
General Admission $10; Students and Seniors $5; Members and Children 12 and under w/adult FREE

MoAD is easily accessible by Muni, BART, Golden Gate Transit, SamTrans, and Caltrain. Hourly, daily, and monthly parking is available within 1 - 2 blocks of the museum.

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