Mission & Governance

In undertaking this work, NMOA defines DEAI principles as follows:

• Diversity – Diversity is all of the factors that shape the experiences, values and perspectives of individuals.  These include but are not limited to age, mental and physical ability, gender identity, race, national origin, religion, socio-economic status, and sexual orientation.
• Equity – Equity is the promotion of fair and just treatment, access and opportunities for all staff and members of our global community.
• Accessibility – Accessibility is the equitable access of all people to use, experience or participate in activities, resources, facilities, and services, regardless of human ability or socio-economic status.
• Inclusion – Inclusion refers to the intentional effort of creating environments in which all individuals or groups can feel welcomed, respected, empowered and valued. It is also an effort to cultivate leaders at all levels to fully participate in the Museum’s work with equal agency.

To advance these principles and serve our community, NMOA will:

• Ensure that all exhibitions, programming, facilities and services are accessible to everyone.
• Provide a forum for public discussion of vital community issues, including social justice, and equality for historically marginalized groups.
• Include under-represented voices, stories and perspectives in exhibitions and programming.
• Ensure that the Museum’s exhibitions, programming, collections, publications and public communications present historical facts and events accurately, and represent diverse cultures in a respectful and culturally competent manner.
• Forge meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with diverse individuals and organizations in the community, including local BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disability advocacy groups, which will help ensure that all visitors feel welcome, valued and heard in the Museum community.
• Diversify NMOA’s Board, leadership, staff and volunteers at all levels. These efforts will include the implementation of more equitable hiring and retention practices, the expansion of job qualifications and recruitment strategies to reach diverse candidates, and public transparency about the membership of our Board of Trustees and senior management team.
• Conduct ongoing staff-wide DEAI professional development on issues such as developing cultural competency, and strategies for identifying, addressing and preventing discrimination, including unconscious bias, on both a personal and institutional level.
• Create zero-tolerance policies regarding racism and microaggressions that arise within our institution and in our work with the public. These policies will be implemented through a timely and thorough complaint process followed by necessary corrective actions.