Walker Art Center was already facing challenges when Mary Ceruti arrived, which were exacerbated by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. She has since reinvigorated the museum’s role as a cultural anchor, positioning the institution for long-term sustainability. A leader known for being collaborative and creative, she launched a five year strategic plan to double down on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. When cultural venues were closed during the pandemic, she founded the MN Arts & Culture Coalition, a group that has grown to include more than 150 arts, cultural, and historical organizations from across the state to share best practices and resources. With entrepreneurship as a core value at Walker, Ceruti created the director of business development position on her senior leadership team to continually reimagine traditional museum business models.