About Vizcaya
Vizcaya’s Executive Director/CEO Dr. Joel M. Hoffman has been leading the organization since 2004. With a distinguished career in the museum sector, Dr. Hoffman has consistently strived to make visual arts and history captivating and accessible to a wide range of audiences. Before his tenure at Vizcaya, Dr. Hoffman served as Vice Director for Education and Program Development at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York and as Associate Director at The Wolfsonian-Florida International University in Miami Beach.
He holds a doctorate in art history from Yale University and an undergraduate degree in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a six-year term on the Board of Directors of the American Alliance of Museums, further solidifying his commitment to advancing the field.
Vizcaya is operated by the non-profit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc. and owned and supported by Miami-Dade County. The Board and staff are committed to advancing Vizcaya’s role as a place of scholarship and dialogue that contributes to the vitality and sustainability of our community.
Vizcaya’s mission is to preserve the estate’s cultural and environmental resources to engage people in connecting with the past, understanding the present and shaping the future.
Officers
Ken O’Keefe, Chair
Charles Seitz, Vice Chair
Lynn Atkinson, Secretary
Andres V. Gil, Treasurer
Directors
Brett Abess
Odilon Almeida
Ricardo Caporal
Terri Castellano
Marvin Dunn
Shawn Fagan
Christopher Hunt
Susan Kahn
Donald A. Kress
Lydia Lopez (ex officio)
Christy Martin
Nancy McCormick
Adam Mopsick
Damian Pardo
Mercedes Romero
Harry Tapias
Suzy Wahba
Ann Walters-Pope
Adam Wolman
Honorary Board
Swanee DiMare
Mireille Chancy Gonzalez
Cathy L. Jones*
Laura Munilla
William D. Robbins
Jeffrey Rynor
* In Memoriam
*updated January 7, 2026
The mission
The vision
“A Home for Miami, An Inspiration for All”
In the coming decades, we will continue to restore and unify our campus, transform our storytelling, and open our home to all through free public spaces and interactive programs.
Our enriched and accessible experiences will explore Miami’s evolving cultural and natural vitality through Vizcaya’s singular lens. Visitors will be inspired by the multidimensional narratives that make this treasured place both a mirror of our city’s past and a catalyst for a shared sustainable future.
Core values
- Equity and Inclusion: We welcome, respect and treat fairly people of all backgrounds, abilities and needs.
- Social Responsibility and Relevance: We are committed to supporting the needs and interests of our local community.
- Collaboration and Innovation: We value the opinions of others, we embrace creativity and new ideas and we pursue them with rigor and purpose.
- Preservation and Resiliency: We protect, maintain and enhance Vizcaya’s cultural resources in an evolving context and climate.
- Environmental Sustainability: We prioritize environmental responsibility in our operations and programs.
- Integrity: We are transparent, responsible and reliable.
- Financial Sustainability: We ensure Vizcaya’s financial health by stewarding its finances through broad based and diversified support
More from Vizcaya
From serial programs to community initiatives, check out what’s happening at Vizcaya with the stories below.
MIAMI – March 5, 2026 – Vizcaya Museum and Gardens raised $670,000 during its 18th Annual Preservation Luncheon, held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, bringing…
MIAMI — February 24, 2026 — Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is thrilled to announce the appointment of María Carla Chicuén as Associate Executive Director and…
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens invites qualified public relations agencies to submit proposals for a temporary, project-based engagement focused on brand and messaging strategy, Vizcaya Village…
MIAMI – January 30, 2026 –It’s back! South Florida’s philanthropic society comes together for the Vizcaya Preservation Luncheon, a Miami tradition that celebrates history, fashion,…
MIAMI — December 17, 2025 — We’re proud to share that Vizcaya Museum and Gardens has been recognized as “Gold Best Museum” in the 2025…
MIAMI–November 24, 2025–On Saturday, November 22, 2025, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens welcomed approximately 400 guests of Miami’s leading philanthropists and cultural supporters to the 68th…
The Vizcaya Village was the working part of the estate and we are revitalizing it to tell new stories about our community’s history and to…
Historic commitment accelerates Vizcaya’s visionto revitalize Vizcaya Village and could open Villa Serena to the public for the first time in 111 years MIAMI, Nov….
MEDIA CONTACT | For general media inquiries, please email marketing@vizcaya.org. MIAMI – October 1, 2025 – Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is partnering with The Sow…



