Tampa art museum appoints board member as interim executive director

The Tampa Museum of Art on Tuesday announced the appointment of a new interim Penny and Jeff Vinik executive director. 

Tom Hochhausler, a long-standing member of the Tampa Museum of Art's board and accountant with Deloitte, has been tapped to fill the position after Michael Tomor retired from the job effective March 31. Hochhausler, 64, will lead the museum’s day-to-day operations as the board continues its national search for a permanent executive director.

"Tom has dedicated years of his time and energy to this institution, and his commitment to the Museum's success is beyond question," says Ron Christaldi, chair of the Tampa Museum of Art Board of Trustees and chair of the executive search committee, in a release. "His record of strong business acumen, combined with his deep firsthand knowledge of the Museum, makes him uniquely suited to lead us through this transition."

Hochhausler joined the museum’s board in 2016 and has played a key role in contributing to the museum’s growth and long-term vision, the release says. He has also served as treasurer of the museum since 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Outside of the museum, Hochhausler is a seasoned business leader with experience guiding organizations through periods of growth and change throughout his career with Deloitte accounting firm, the release says.

"This Museum has been a part of my life for many years, and I care deeply about its future," Hochhausler says in the release. "I am honored to serve in this capacity and look forward to working alongside our talented staff and board to keep the momentum going as we search for the next leader of this remarkable institution."

Hochhausler assumes the role of the Penny and Jeff Vinik interim executive director following the retirement of Tomor, who led the museum through major institutional growth for more than a decade, the release says.

Hochhausler's interim appointment comes amid the museum’s Centennial Campaign, a comprehensive construction and endowment effort to fund an ambitious 51,000 -square-foot expansion announced in November 2021. The campaign is anchored by a $28 million lead gift from Tampa real estate developer and philanthropist Dick Corbett, who has been a museum patron for decades, the release says. His lead gift is the single largest private donation ever made to a public art museum in Florida.

To date, more than $100 million in support has been provided by individuals, families, and corporations, as well as the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County and the State of Florida. Fundraising efforts will continue through construction.

Established in 1920, the Tampa Museum of Art sits along Tampa’s Riverwalk and houses an extensive collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, one of the largest in the southeastern United States, as well as a diverse collection of modern and contemporary art encompassing sculpture, photography, painting and new media.