SEATTLE, WA (August 22, 2024) The National Nordic Museum announced today that, after an extensive international search, Lāth Carlson ("l-ai-th kaarl-sun," he/him) has been hired as the new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.
“Lāth is a remarkable global leader in the museum world and we are excited to welcome him to the National Nordic Museum and back to Seattle,” said Jay Bruns, President, Board of Trustees. “We are thrilled he will lead our cherished institution and look forward to his vision, innovation, and the success we will achieve together.”
Carlson says he’s been a longtime fan of the National Nordic Museum and the leadership of retiring Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson. “What Eric, the board, and the staff have accomplished is truly phenomenal. So when the opportunity arose to build on that success, I was naturally intrigued,” he said. “My goal is to help people—regionally, nationally, and globally—see just how diverse, impactful, and unique the Museum is. It's truly a place for everyone, not just those with Nordic heritage.”
Over the past 12 years, Carlson has played a pivotal role at three unique and innovative museums, each with outsized impact and importance:
In partnership with the local government of Dubai and the Dubai Future Foundation, Carlson established The Museum of the Future, one of the world’s most innovative new museums. As the founding Executive Director, Carlson oversaw the completion of the now iconic building, one of the most complex buildings ever constructed, and achieved LEED Platinum certification for new building construction. He led the creation of 60,000 sf of exhibits, all technology systems, bespoke retail collections, and multiple food and beverage outlets. Since opening in 2022, the museum has been continuously sold out with over 100,000 paid monthly guests and is financially self-sufficient, making it one of the most successful new museums ever built.
Before his directorship at the Museum of the Future, Carlson was recruited by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen to assume the role of the first Executive Director of the Living Computers Museum + Labs in Seattle. Carlson took Allen’s personal collection of vintage computers and turned it into a vibrant and inclusive museum. Within a year of reopening, LCM+L was at the forefront of open access policies and use of artifacts, making it the highest rated museum in Seattle on Google. Carlson led the creation of 12,000 sf of hands-on contemporary technology exhibits, opened four co-created temporary exhibits, and developed numerous community-driven programs.
From 2012 to 2015, Carlson held the position of Vice President of Exhibits and Content Development at The Tech Museum of Innovation in Silicon Valley. He re-envisioned the Tech’s core institutional mission by implementing building-wide renovations, replacing all exhibits, and investing in programming within a $60M capital campaign. In 2015, The Tech was awarded the highest honor an American museum can achieve: a National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
Throughout his career, Carlson has been at the forefront of innovation, technology, and museum practice. “I’m looking forward to expanding the reach of the National Nordic Museum’s focus on innovation into areas like education, housing, governance, wellness, and sports," he said. "The Nordic Innovation Summit is already a great success and there are opportunities to expand it even further.
Carlson believes museums have an important role to play in a world that is so focused on screens. “Museums are special places, like our libraries and parks, where everyone is welcome to come and experience new things—and maybe connect with people and ideas that their social media feeds would never recommend,” he said. “Museums can help people see the diversity of our pasts, the vibrancy of our present and the unlimited potential of our futures.”
A key factor in Carlson’s interest in the Museum was his Nordic heritage and connection to Nordic values and culture, as well as the opportunity to return to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. “Like our Nordic ancestors who arrived in the Pacific Northwest and felt immediately at home, my family has always felt like this is where we belonged,” he explained. “I’m looking forward to commuting to work by bike and ferry again, catching up on all the new IPAs I’ve missed while living abroad, and snowboarding outdoors on a mountain with real snow rather than on sand dunes.”
Following the successful tenure of Eric Nelson, who will retire in 2024 after nearly 17 years of transformational leadership at the Museum, Carlson will lead an organization that has significantly increased in size, scale, and impact. Nelson has laid a strong foundation for the future as the Museum is now federally recognized as a nationally significant cultural institution and draws regional, national, and global audiences.
With the selection of an internationally known museum leader, the Museum is reinforcing its commitment to reaching global audiences in line with its national designation. “The Museum is in a great position for this transition,” said Nelson. “Thanks to the support of the community, the Museum successfully completed a major capital campaign and emerged from COVID in a strong position. Lāth is a visionary leader and an exceptional choice to shepherd the Museum forward.”
