NEW ORLEANS — The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) has announced Heather Hodges, Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) director of institutional advancement, as the 2025 recipient of the Museum Leadership Award. Established in 1994, the award recognizes mid-career professionals who demonstrate outstanding leadership at their institution, within the profession and in the Southeast region.
“Heather is someone who consistently makes room at the table, not just for those in her immediate circle or institution, but for all who are committed to the work of cultural preservation, storytelling and community engagement,” said HNOC President and CEO Daniel Hammer. “She exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking, compassionate and transformative leadership that this honor was designed to recognize.”
“Heather has reimagined institutional advancement, building bridges between HNOC and broader audiences and fostering equity in access and opportunity, especially for emerging professionals in Louisiana’s museum ecosystem,” said Erin Greenwald, deputy director at HNOC.
Marked by a deep commitment to community engagement, Hodges’ cultural stewardship and inclusive practices are reshaping the museum field across the Southeast and beyond. Before joining HNOC in 2021, she practiced law in New York and Washington, D.C. with three international law firms. She is an honors graduate of Tulane Law School and held a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship at Georgetown Law School. An advocate for the traditional, multicultural heritage of Louisiana, she chairs the board of trustees of the American Folklife Center in the U.S. Library of Congress.
Hodges will be celebrated at the 2025 Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon Oct. 22 in Montgomery, AL, which includes a special leadership roundtable discussion with other awardees. HNOC will also be recognized with six SEMC Technology Awards and two Exhibition Awards.
About the Historic New Orleans Collection
The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is a nonprofit institution dedicated to preserving the distinctive history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Founded in 1966 through the Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation, HNOC operates as a free museum, research center and publisher spanning more than 14 historic buildings in the heart of the French Quarter. For more information visit hnoc.org.