Paul Bessire

With over 30 years of development experience in museums, Paul Bessire has led fundraising programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Brooklyn Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Bessire also worked at the American Museum of Natural History early in his career and founded a consulting practice that provided strategic counsel to Harvard University Art Museums, Public Art Fund, Fundacion Casa Wabi and Swiss Institute. He has directed major capital campaigns and managed successful institutional transformations in Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

Bessire is a Brooklyn native who has fully embraced Los Angeles and California, taking advantage of its natural beauty, vibrant arts and cultural offerings, and unparalleled food scene. He graduated from Kenyon College and trained as a chef in Paris before beginning his work in museums and development.