Judia S. Jackson Appointed Barnes Foundation Deputy Director for Human Resources and Chief Culture Officer
Philadelphia, PA, May 28, 2025—Thom Collins, Neubauer Family Executive Director and President of the Barnes Foundation, today announced the appointment of Judia S. Jackson, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, as deputy director for human resources and chief culture officer. An HR professional with over 15 years’ experience in the nonprofit and business sectors, Jackson comes to the Barnes from the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, Inc., where she served as chief people and culture officer. She began her post at the Barnes on May 12, 2025.
Jackson previously served in various HR leadership roles at organizations along the East Coast, including ADP, Campbell’s Soup Company, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, and Parallel, Inc. Jackson’s leadership and culture-building experience will allow the Barnes to expand on its important work of recent years to grow and strengthen its diverse workforce, create equitable opportunities for staff advancement, and enhance its work culture.
“I am delighted to welcome Judia to the Barnes. The work of the human resources department, which provides the support and training our staff and volunteers need to thrive and grow, is crucial,” says Collins. “I look forward to working closely with Judia to ensure that the Barnes remains a workplace that values its people and their well-being.”
In this role, Jackson will collaborate with staff across each department to ensure the Barnes is a welcoming and supportive work environment for all staff and volunteers. Her work is aligned with the Barnes’s strategic priorities and goals to strengthen its commitments to accessible education, reaching new audiences, and social justice in the years to come.
“I am inspired by the Barnes’s progressive vision and excellence in arts and education, and look forward to drawing on my spectrum of experience to support staff and volunteers, foster an inclusive work environment, and help the institution continue flourishing in the years to come,” says Jackson.
Jackson serves on the executive board of the Philadelphia Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., where she also holds the role of presentation gala co-chair. She previously served on the board of the Type Zero Foundation and currently acts as the chair of the arts facet and a foundation committee member for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She holds both an MBA and a BS in business management from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee.
ABOUT THE BARNES FOUNDATION
The Barnes Foundation is a nonprofit cultural and educational institution that shares its unparalleled art collection with the public, organizes special exhibitions, and presents programming that fosters new ways of thinking about human creativity. The Barnes collection is displayed in ensembles that integrate art and objects from across cultures and time periods, overturning traditional hierarchies and revealing universal elements of human expression. Home to one of the world’s finest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings—including the largest groups of paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cézanne in existence—the Barnes brings together renowned canvases by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Vincent van Gogh, alongside African, Asian, ancient, medieval, and Native American art as well as metalwork, furniture, and decorative art.
The Barnes Foundation was established by Dr. Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.” A visionary collector and pioneering educator, Dr. Barnes was also a fierce advocate for the civil rights of African Americans, women, and the economically marginalized. Committed to racial equality and social justice, he established a scholarship program to support young Black artists, writers, and musicians who wanted to further their education. Dr. Barnes was deeply interested in African American culture and became actively involved in the Harlem Renaissance, during which he collaborated with philosopher Alain Locke and Charles S. Johnson, the scholar and activist, to promote awareness of the artistic value of African art.
Since moving to Philadelphia in 2012, the Barnes has expanded its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and social justice, teaching visual literacy in groundbreaking ways; investing in original scholarship relating to its collection; and enhancing accessibility throughout every facet of its programs.
The Barnes Foundation is situated in Lenapehoking, the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people. Read our Land Acknowledgment.
Hours and ticket prices are listed on our website.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Deirdre Maher, Director of Communications
215.278.7160, press@barnesfoundation.org
Online press office: barnesfoundation.org/press