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
Donald Deubler
Marvin Dunn
Shawn Fagan
Christopher Hunt
Susan Kahn
Donald A. Kress
Lydia Lopez (ex officio)
Christy Martin
Nancy McCormick
Damian Pardo
Harry Tapias
Suzy Wahba
Ann Walters-Pope
Adam Wolman
HONORARY BOARD
Maria Carla Chicuen
Swanee DiMare
Mireille Chancy Gonzalez
Cathy Jones
Laura Munilla
William D. Robbins
Jeffrey Rynor
*updated January 2, 2025
THE MISSION
THE VISION
CORE VALUES
- INCLUSION: We welcome, respect and collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, abilities and needs within and beyond our organization.
- EXCELLENCE: We embrace reflection, learning and evaluation to develop innovative and impactful initiatives.
- INTEGRITY: We are transparent, accountable, responsible and honest.
- SUSTAINABILITY: We are environmentally conscious and promote sustainability and resiliency.
- COMMITMENT: We are passionate about working together to preserve Vizcaya and inspire our community.
MORE FROM VIZCAYA
From serial programs to community initiatives, check out what’s happening at Vizcaya with the stories below.

On February 27, 2025, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, in partnership with Florida Organic Growers (FOG), hosted the 2025 Dinner for Farmers at the historic Vizcaya…

A Night of Community, Cuisine, and Connection at Vizcaya Village MIAMI – On the evening of February 27, 2025, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, in collaboration…

MIAMI – March 6, 2025 – The 17th Annual Vizcaya Preservation Luncheon, fondly known as “the hat luncheon,” once again proved to be a dazzling…


On the evening of February 12, 2025, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens became a living archive of history as elders from Little Bahamas in Coconut Grove…


MIAMI – January 27, 2025 – Mark your calendars! The 17th Annual Vizcaya Preservation Luncheon is set to take place on March 4, 2025, from…

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is ever more vibrant with the exciting return of a one-of-a-kind 1916 Steinway & Sons Grand Piano. Originally commissioned by Vizcaya’s…


A Night of Community, Cuisine,and Connection at Vizcaya Village MIAMI – January 8, 2025 – Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, in partnership with Florida Organic Growers…