MY EDMONDS NEWS Posted: May 6, 2021
Melissa Chittenden
The Board of Directors of Cascadia Art Museum has appointed Melissa Chittenden as the organization’s new executive director.
She replaces Leigh Ann Gilmer, who left the museum to take another job.
Born and raised in the Seattle area, Chittenden comes to Cascadia Art Museum with over two decades of administrative and educational leadership at University Child Development School in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. She has also worked as an international leadership and educational consultant, specializing in building and growing organizations.
She not only managed day to day operations of the $13 million non-profit, her work also encompassed marketing, strategic planning, budgeting, curriculum development, board collaborations, capital campaigns and managing multiple construction projects. Many educators and staff team members regarded her as a creative leader and mentor. Chittenden earned a master’s degree in non