September 20, 2023

Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) Appoints Toni Godwin Sells
as Chief Business and Strategy Officer

Proven business leader and enterprise strategist to help propel museum’s growth

SEATTLE (September 20, 2023) — The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Toni Godwin Sells as Chief Business and Strategy Officer. In this new role, Godwin Sells will oversee the strategic and operational plan for the organization and will work alongside MoPOP CEO Michele Smith to focus on contributed revenue and grants to grow and support the museum’s mission.

Self-funded since 2017, MoPOP is poised to investigate and celebrate the study and impact of pop culture, a unique force where creativity, courage, and innovation abound and unite our shared humanity.

“On behalf of the board, staff, and myself, we are excited to bring Toni’s expertise in strategic and operational planning and execution to help us fund and deliver on our mission of making creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities,” said Michele Smith, CEO of MoPOP.

Prior to joining MoPOP, Godwin Sells was the Vice President, Business Operations and Strategy at the Woodland Park Zoo, where she established strategic direction for business operations departments including implementation, communication, and retention of plans, as well as alignment to the vision and mission of the zoo. During her 24-year tenure at the zoo, Godwin Sells held several leadership roles and was instrumental in creating extra-ordinary experiences for both employees, and guests, ensuring fiscal responsibility in both sustainability and efficiencies, and developing industry leading revenue programs to enhance growth opportunities within the business operations.

“It’s an incredible honor to join MoPOP and I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to work at an iconic cultural institution with values and mission that align with my experience and passions,” said Godwin Sells. “I look forward to furthering our mission by growing the connection with our Seattle Community and beyond, and to help secure additional grants and create a culture of philanthropy to help lead the museum’s growth and fund our future.”

Godwin Sells’ appointment will take effect on October 10, 2023.

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ABOUT MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MoPOP)

MoPOP is a leading-edge nonprofit museum in Seattle, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary pop culture. With a mission to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities, MoPOP reaches multigenerational audiences through our collection, exhibitions, educational programs, and community partnerships. At MoPOP, artists, audiences, and ideas converge in order to bring understanding, interpretation, and scholarship to the pop culture of our time. 

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Nikki Carrido, VP of Marketing, Communications + Digital
PR@MoPOP.Org

Carey Kerns/The Hoffman Agency
ckerns@hoffman.com