November 27, 2008 | Read Time: 4 minutes
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History here is home to many unusual artifacts. A stuffed male African elephant in the lobby, for example. But this month the museum was the site of an exhibit never seen before in the Smithsonian’s 162-year history: a public meeting of its Board of Regents.
After a series of scandals — including the resignation of Lawrence M. Small, former Smithsonian secretary, for lavish spending — members of the group’s governing body said they wanted to speak directly to critics, employees, and others.
During a period of growing scrutiny of charitable institutions, the meeting was perhaps the biggest sign of how nonprofit groups, including one created by Congress, are trying to be more open.
Emerging from behind a burgundy curtain, the regents sat at a table on a stage in the museum’s Baird Auditorium. Smithsonian employees handed out blue comment cards and a sheet that listed the names of each of the regents and where they would be sitting.
Due to a family emergency, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, who serves as the board’s chancellor, couldn’t make the event. But a number of other high-profile regents attended, including members of Congress, the philanthropist Eli Broad, and Patricia Q. Stonesifer, the former chief executive of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
(Ms. Stonesifer will be assuming the role of chairwoman of the cultural institution next year.)
‘Lively Dialogue’
At the start of the event, Roger W. Sant, the board’s current chairman, told the 500 or so people in the audience that the 15 regents on hand had held a private meeting that morning; now was the time for a “lively dialogue” with the public.
Mr. Sant got what he wished.
The first question, which came in anonymously through a Web site, asked Mr. Sant why the board had not resigned after it was criticized for the lax oversight that led to the problems with Mr. Small.
Mr. Sant responded: The regents asked themselves, “Do we resign or roll up our sleeves?” He added: “We felt we were part of the problem, so we wanted to be part of fixing it.”
During the next two hours, Mr. Sant, other members of the board, and the Smithsonian’s new secretary, G. Wayne Clough, emphasized the governance measures the organization has put in place since Mr. Small’s departure, while answering other questions.
Audience members asked about the fate of the vacant Arts and Industries Building, the proposal for a tram at the National Zoo, and whether the Smithsonian should start charging admission — an idea quickly shot down by the regents.
During the discussion, Mr. Clough announced that the Smithsonian had formed an executive committee that he will oversee to examine racial and ethnic diversity among its employees and board members.
On financial matters, the regents said that, like those of other nonprofit institutions, the Smithsonian’s endowment is suffering, having lost 21 percent of its value since June. Currently, it has about $800-million in assets, Mr. Sant said.
“We’re pleased we’re down a lot less than other people, but we’re still down,” he said later.
Over Its Goal
Despite the economic problems, Mr. Clough said the institution had raised $135.6-million in its last fiscal year, about $20-million more than its goal.
And while the number of visitors had declined by about 2 percent since last year, the 19 museums that make up the Smithsonian will be getting national attention because it is featured in two summer movies — the sequel to Transformers and Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian.
After the meeting, Miriam Aiken, a former Smithsonian volunteer, said she was pleased that the regents held a town-hall gathering of sorts. “They answered the questions well,” she said. “It’s good to know what people are thinking.”
But she and her friend, Sarah McMeans, complained that technical difficulties with microphones hampered the exchange. At one point, because of bad acoustics, a question needed to be clarified three times before the regents and the secretary could understand it.
“I think it was pretty good first effort, but they need some work,” said Ms. McMeans.
Mr. Sant agreed. He said he was pleased overall, but wanted to fix the microphone problems and make other tweaks.
The board will hold at least one public meeting a year from now on, but may change the time from the afternoon to evening so more people could attend and make it more intimate, moving the board members off the stage to be closer to the audience, he said.
“We don’t have it exactly right. But at least we’re trying to tinker with it,” he said.
