Cowboy & Western museum president and CEO to resign
The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum announced that Steven M. Karr, president and CEO, will resign effective Feb. 28.
Chief Financial Officer Gary Moore has been named interim president and CEO until a successor is hired; the museum’s board of directors soon will begin a search for a permanent successor to Karr.
“It has been an enormous privilege to lead this wonderful organization and to see the transformation which has been achieved throughout the past few years,” Karr said in a news release. “The museum is starting its next chapter as a vibrant and growing educational institution and it is time for me to let others lead the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. I am appreciative for the opportunity to work at such a wonderful organization and look forward to seeing the museum flourish into a very exciting future.”
Karr joined the museum in 2014 after serving as the executive director of the Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio. Under his tenure, the Oklahoma City museum expanded its family and children’s programming, increased the number of members, and brought new
curated exhibitions to the museum.
After being away from family for more than five years, Karr will be joining his family in California, where his wife and son recently moved. His wife will resume her legal practice in California.
“The museum is thankful for Steven’s leadership during the past three years as the institution has continued to grow in the midst of a difficult economic period,” Moore said in a news release. “We understand and support his decision to step down to take care of his family and wish him well in future endeavors.”
According to a 2016 interview with The
Oklahoman, Karr oversaw a staff of about 100 full-time workers and 30 part-time employees at the museum, and a budget of $9.4 million, including gross annual revenues of more than $1.2 million for the museum gift shop and roughly $730,000 for the event center. Turnstile revenue accounts for about 9 percent of the operating budget, with donations, memberships, sponsorships and grants making up the remainder.
The museum, established in 1955, spans 228,000 square feet, and sits on more than 30 acres.