The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History said Executive Director and CEO Robert A. Kret will retire in April 2026 after seven years leading the Hartford-based organization.
Kret joined the museum in 2019 after serving as head of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. During his tenure at Connecticut Museum, he oversaw a strategic rebranding, expansion planning, and multiple federal grants, while growing the museum’s operating budget to more than $5 million.
He also led the organization through a name change: In 2023 the Connecticut Historical Society rebranded as Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
The museum’s Board of Trustees has appointed Ilene Frank, the organization’s deputy executive director and chief strategy officer, to succeed Kret when he steps down.
She will assume the role next April.
Kret, who has worked in the museum field for 35 years, will remain through the leadership transition.