(NEW YORK, May 31, 2001)—The Metropolitan Museum of Art today announced the appointment of Philip T. Venturino as Vice President for Facilities Management. Mr. Venturino was formally elected by the Board of Trustees at its May 8 meeting. He will assume his new post in mid-July.
Mr. Venturino has served since 1986 as vice president for facilities management at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, a subsidiary of JP Morgan & Co., Inc. At Morgan, he manages the firm's downtown properties—more than three million square feet of space in five different locations—including 23 Wall Street, 75 Wall Street, and 60 Wall Street (a 1.6 million-square-foot corporate headquarters for which he was responsible for engineering design and construction).
He has also managed the firm's global engineering group, providing technical, mechanical, and electrical support to JP Morgan's worldwide projects, supervising their operations and maintenance personnel, and overseeing a number of capital improvement and renovation projects for the firm over the last 16 years. He first joined JP Morgan in 1985 as an assistant vice president and staff mechanical engineer.
Noted David E. McKinney, President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in making the announcement: "The Metropolitan is a vast and complex museum, and it requires skilled, experienced, and dedicated professionals to make certain that it fulfills its mission to preserve its collections for the benefit of the public. To take on this crucial task, we are fortunate indeed to have secured a respected professional with long, impressive, hands-on experience in managing the day-to-day activities of a large institution. Phil Venturino's arrival ensures that the Metropolitan will continue to function at the very highest level to maintain and secure its galleries, and provide an ideal experience for every visitor who comes through its doors."
Mr. Venturino commented: "This is truly a great opportunity and challenge for
me. I look forward to sharing my experience and knowledge with my new colleagues and becoming part of the team that makes The Metropolitan Museum of Art the premier cultural institution in the world."
The post of Vice President for Facilities Management is a newly established one at the Metropolitan Museum. Richard Morsches, who retired last month after more than 30 years at the Metropolitan, held the title of Senior Vice President for Operations. Longtime Museum General Manager of Operations Nicholas J. Cameron has been serving since Mr. Morsches' retirement as Acting Head of Operations, pending Mr. Venturino's arrival in July. A new organizational structure for the department will be announced at that time.
Philip T. Venturino earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Pratt Institute in New York. He also holds an advanced certificate in construction management from New York University's School of Continuing Education. He began his professional career as a sales engineer with the Carrier Air Conditioning Company, then worked for seven years as staff mechanical engineer for the Abraham & Strauss department stores in the New York tri-state area. He served from 1980 to 1982 as staff mechanical engineer for Equitable Life Assurance, then from 1982 to 1985 as engineering manager for Galbreath-Ruffin Corporation,
where he was responsible for project management and engineering for development projects for such major clients as the Goldman Sachs headquarters and Mobil Oil Corporation.
Mr. Venturino is Secretary of the Building Owners' and Management Association (BOMA) of Greater New York, on whose board of directors he served from 1995 through 1998. He also serves on the board of directors of the management division of the Real Estate Board of New York.
Mr. Venturino lives with his wife, Linda, and their children in Island Park, New York.
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