MUSEUM
LEADERSHIP

A leader in cultural attraction operations, organizational culture, and customer service, John Anderson brings almost 30 years’ experience to the International African American Museum. As Vice President of Administration and Chief Operating Officer, John is responsible for activating the Museum’s visitor experiences, building and site operations, organizational administration, and company culture.

John served as the Michigan Science Center’s Vice President of Administration and Chief Operating Officer from 2015 to 2021, including one year as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer from 2018-2019.  John previously held multiple professional positions with the City of Detroit and Detroit Zoological Society.

John’s diverse operational background includes hospitality, sustainability, public programming & education, emergency management & facility security, information technology, physical plant operations, exhibit design, and capital planning & construction.  John has previously served as a human resources committee member for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), and is an IAAPA Certified Attractions Executive. In 2015, John was recognized as a Patriotic Employer by the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense.  John is also a former Emergency Medical Technician and open water diver, who has enjoyed traveling to an underwater lodge in the Florida Keys and multiple photographic safaris to east Africa.

Dianne Firment proudly serves as the International African American Museum’s Finance Director. Her experience and attention to detail help to propel the financial growth and success of the museum’s operations.

Dianne’s professional history includes more than twenty-five years of progressive experience in the fields of finance, human resource management, and leadership. Prior to joining the IAAM staff, she served as the Director of Finance at the Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School in Worcester, MA. There, she directed all accounting and human resource functions of the school with over $20 Million in revenues, over 200 staff, and 1,426 students. She received her B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting and completed certificate coursework in Human Resource Management at Assumption College.

Malika N. Pryor, chief learning and engagement officer for the International African American Museum, provides strategic direction for creating and enhancing dynamic programs that explore the Middle Passage, the African diaspora, and the crucial contributions that African Americans have made to our history and to our modern world. As a member of the senior executive team, Pryor works closely with the CEO to establish partnerships and programs that help support and sustain the museum’s mission, including school programs, faith-based initiatives and programs, local and national public programs, and programs at the Center for Family History, a one-of-a-kind research center that focuses on African American genealogy.

A native of Detroit, Michigan, she was shaped by many of the city’s community and cultural arts institutions, and her education and work experience reflect this.

Pryor received her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Studies and Afro-American & African Studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor before going on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from Wayne State University Law School in Detroit.

After practicing law in Atlanta for several years, Pryor returned to her hometown of Detroit in 2010, where she served as director of education and programs at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. From there, she started a boutique non-profit consulting firm providing services to emerging community-based initiatives with a special emphasis on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) founders. She then joined the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas where she established the communications and education department. While living abroad, she founded the Curlyfest Bahamas Festival before once again returning to Detroit, where she most recently served as senior director of educations and programs for the Detroit Historical Society. There, she formed a cohesive department serving 25,000 students with 220 public programs.