The Buffalo Bill Center looked inwards for its new executive director, hiring one of its longtime employees to take the helm of Cody’s top tourist attraction.
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West Board of Trustees Executive Director Exploratory Task Force and the Board’s Executive Committee announced the promotion of Rebecca West to Executive Director and C.E.O.
West began her long career with the Center in 1994 as an intern and associate researcher. Since then, she has been promoted several times and has served in a wide range of roles across the Center.
West currently serves as the Collier-Read Director of Curatorial, Education and Museum Services Division and the Curator of the Plains Indian Museum. She is also Department Head of the Buffalo Bill Museum.
“It’s a great opportunity to promote one of our own,” said Board Chairman Bill Shiebler. “Her long-term experience with the Center, her deep educational background, her experience on the Management Team, and her excellent reputation among her peers are all tremendous positives that make her a great fit to lead the Center.”
On her promotion to the “front of the wagon train,” West says she aims to navigate the museum past the pandemic perils and into a stronger future.
“The past year has been a challenging one for museums around the world, and the Center of the West is no exception. I have been fortunate to learn and mature under some of the best and brightest people who have worked here. I am honored to take on this role and look forward to working with our tremendous staff to address not only our current challenges but also some wonderful opportunities for the Center and the community.”
A longtime resident of Cody, West’s interests include skiing, running, and fly fishing. Her professional skills involve fostering solid relationships with Native communities, working for broad access to collections, and advocacy for the arts through Center programs and outreach.
West and her husband, Chuck Hulbert, are both longtime Cody residents. Their son, Charlie, is a freshman at Cody High School, and their daughter, Sara, is graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in resource conservation.
West replaces outgoing museum director Peter Seibert. After three years leading the B.B.C.O.W., Seibert resigned in January 2021 to take another job in Philadelphia.
