Just like history itself, our Heritage department has been in a state of flux this past year! Brian Carter became our Executive Director in August, leaving his former position of Heritage Lead open. We were thrilled to have Chieko Phillips, formerly the Heritage Support Specialist, head up the department in the fall. Now, we welcome Megumi Nagata into Chieko’s vacated position!

Megumi is passionate about history and culture, especially those of underrepresented communities. She holds a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Lewis and Clark College and an M.A. in Museology from the University of Washington. Prior to joining 4Culture, Megumi worked and interned at various organizations in the area, including the Museum of Flight, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Renton History Museum, and Pacific Science Center. She has experiences in education and programming in museums, as well as conducting audience research projects. She is looking forward to supporting  the organizations and individuals working in the King County Heritage field.

Chieko—a self-described history nerd—brings an impressive background to this leadership role. Before joining 4Culture in 2016, she served as Executive Director at BlackPast.org and Public Program Curator at the Photographic Center NW. Chieko has helped grow our Heritage funding program—in 2018, the department supported 87 unique organizations and individuals from across all districts of King County. Our 2019 Heritage grant deadlines are set and Chieko and Megumi are gearing up for more growth, with plans to expand our T.I.P.S. programming and services in the works this year. Look for them out and about in King County!