SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 14, 2025)-The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) today announced the recent appointment of five new members to its board of trustees. They include the museum’s newest artist trustee, Oakland-based sculptor and painter Woody De Othello; early-stage technology investor and entrepreneur Jonathan Heiliger; brand and creative strategist Brittany Pattner; award-winning fashion designer Zac Posen; and corporate governance and investment strategy expert Diana Strandberg. The group exemplifies SFMOMA’s ongoing commitment to bringing new perspectives and experience to its board, as the museum enacts its mission to generate audience-centered exhibitions and programs that drive attendance and deepen engagement with the community.
“I am thrilled to welcome our newest cohort of trustees, whose talents, expertise and ideas will prove invaluable to our institution,” said Robert J. Fisher, chair of SFMOMA’s board of trustees. “SFMOMA is at a pivotal point in its steady recovery from the pandemic, with an exciting and ambitious creative program ahead that encourages connection with new and returning audiences. I look forward to partnering with this dynamic group of trustees to build the next chapter for SFMOMA.”
Biographic information for the recently appointed trustees can be found below. A complete list of SFMOMA’s board of trustees can be found at sfmoma.org.
WOODY DE OTHELLO
Woody De Othello is an Oakland-based artist known for his work in sculpture, painting and installation. Othello’s installations were featured at SFMOMA’s Art Bash in 2023. In the past five years, SFMOMA has acquired three of the artist’s works.
Othello holds an MFA from the California College of the Arts (CCA), San Francisco and a BFA from Florida Atlantic University. His work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art; Pérez Art Museum Miami; de Young Museum; Seattle Art Museum; LACMA; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Baltimore Museum of Art; ICA, Miami; Aishti Foundation, Beirut; Crocker Art Museum; San José Museum of Art; John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI; and MAXXI National Museum of 21st Century Art, Rome, Italy, among others.
Othello’s work was included in the 2022 Whitney Biennial, and he has exhibited widely in group exhibitions. He is represented by Jessica Silverman and Karma.
JONATHAN HEILIGER
Jonathan Heiliger and his wife Germaine joined SFMOMA’s Director’s Circle in 2016 and Collectors’ Forum in 2019. He is co-chair of SFMOMA’s Collectors’ Forum, and he serves on the museum’s Development Committee.
In 2015, Heiliger started the boutique firm Vertex Ventures. He previously led the team focused on Facebook’s infrastructure as the platform’s user population grew to nearly one billion. Prior to his time at Facebook, he served as chief operating officer of Loudcloud. Heiliger founded his first successful company before age 20. He has additionally advised high growth companies such as Cloudera, Dropbox and Square.
Outside of the office, Jonathan is an avid cyclist and enjoys being outdoors with his wife and German Shepherd, Oreo. He was previously a director of USA Cycling and has served on the board of the Exploratorium Museum since 2019. Jonathan and his wife live in Menlo Park.
BRITTANY PATTNER
Brittany Pattner became an SFMOMA member in 2016. She is also a member of the museum’s Director’s Circle, Contemporaries and Collectors’ Forum. Pattner serves on the FOG Steering Committee, as well as the SFMOMA Development Committee, Education and Community Engagement Committee, Marketing and Communications Committee and the Contemporaries Committee.
One of the original employees of goop—the modern lifestyle brand founded by Gwyneth Paltrow—Pattner eventually became its head of brand and creative director. Building on her experience, Pattner has advised leading lifestyle companies on brand strategy and creative direction.
Pattner has a BA in Philosophy from the University of Southern California. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Justin, a partner at KKR, and their three young children.
ZAC POSEN
Zac Posen is the executive vice president, creative director of Gap Inc. and chief creative officer of Old Navy.
An award-winning fashion designer and entrepreneur, Posen is celebrated for his technical excellence and body-positive designs. Over his 25-year career, his extensive work has included red-carpet couture, ready-to-wear, accessories and costume design. Posen was invited to be a member of France’s chambre syndicale de la haute couture and his work has received awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and many others.
During his tenure at his namesake clothing line, Zac Posen, he also served as creative director for Brooks Brothers Womenswear, designed secondary lines at the House of Z LLC and redesigned uniforms for Delta Airlines.
Born and raised in New York, Posen attended London’s Central Saint Martins University.
DIANA STRANDBERG
Diana Strandberg and her husband, Steve, joined SFMOMA’s Director’s Circle in 2016 and have been steadfast supporters of SFMOMA’s First Thursdays Access Initiative program.
Strandberg serves on the board of the UC Berkeley Endowment Company, the National Board of Summer Search and the National Advisory Board of The Smithsonian Institution.
Additionally, Strandberg serves on the board of Virgin Galactic (NYSE-SPCE), where she chairs the Compensation Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee. She retired from Dodge & Cox Investment Managers at the end of 2022, where she served on the senior leadership team overseeing and guiding the company’s investment strategies and operations.
Strandberg has a BA in Economics from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She and her husband moved to Ketchum, Idaho in January 2023 after 34 years in San Francisco.
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The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the largest museums of modern and contemporary art in the United States and a thriving cultural center for the Bay Area. Our remarkable collection of painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design and media arts is housed in a LEED Gold-certified building designed by the global architects Snøhetta and Mario Botta. In addition to our seven gallery floors, SFMOMA now offers more than 47,000 square feet of free, art-filled public space open to all.
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Image Credits:
Woody De Othello; photo: Smeeta Mahanti
Jonathan Heiliger; photo courtesy Jonathan Heiliger
Brittany Pattner; photo courtesy Brittany Pattner
Zac Posen; photo: Mario Sorrenti
Diana Strandberg; photo courtesy of Diana Strandberg