Historical Society of Pennsylvania president named director of National Portrait Gallery
Kim Sajet, the president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, has been named as the new director of the Smithsonian Instutite’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. She will begin the new post in April.
For six years, Sajet brought an educational focus to HSP, creating the Digital Center for Americana, which archived more than 65,000 images online, and the History Affiliates, a support network for more than 340 Pennsylvania history and heritage organizations in the region.
Sajet, a citizen of the Netherlands, who was born in Nigeria and raised in Australia, is credited with widening the appeal and scope of the Society’s collections. HSP can now boast of active patrons from all 50 states and two dozen countries.
The National Portrait Gallery, which is administered by the Smithsonian Institution, archives and displays images of men and women who have made significant contributions to U.S. history and culture. In her new capacity, Sajet will oversee a staff of 65 with an annual federal budget of about $9 million and a collection of about 21,000 objects.
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