Tubman Museum’s executive director steps down. Chairman won’t say why he’s leaving

The director of the Tubman Museum is resigning after 13 years on the job.

Andy Ambrose made the announcement Monday evening in a post to his Facebook friends.

“It has been an honor to serve as the Tubman’s Executive Director,” he wrote. “I am very proud of what the Museum’s talented staff with support from dedicated volunteers, sponsors, community partners, and the Board of Trustees have been able to accomplish.”

The board of directors for the museum met in a glass-paneled conference room for more than an hour early afternoon Wednesday.

Billy Pitts, chairman of the board, refused to speak to a Telegraph reporter after the meeting and instructed other board members not to do so either.

“Everything must come through me,” Pitts said as the group dispersed.

Later Wednesday, Pitts called The Telegraph. He said, “Right now we’re not making a statement” but one could be expected Thursday. Pitts declined to say whether Ambrose voluntarily resigned.

Ambrose left a voice message with a Telegraph reporter indicating he was at his office Wednesday afternoon and was willing to talk, but he did not return phone calls seeking a meeting.

Later, when reached by text message, Ambrose said he had nothing more to say other than what he posted on Facebook. He declined to say what, if any, plans he had after his last day Aug. 2, or what lead to this resignation.

“Thank you for your interest, but I would prefer that any further statements come from the Board or the Museum so I can focus on things I wish to complete before I take my leave,” Ambrose said in the message.

Michele Prettyman, artistic director of Tubman African American Film Festival, worked with Ambrose in planning this year’s inaugural event and has worked with him on the museum’s annual Pan-African Festival.

Prettyman said his resignation is “very unfortunate.”

“Over the years, he has demonstrated his personal investment in this community and used the museum and all of the resources that the museum can bring to bear to really bring people together around African American culture and to make sure that the museum prospers and is sustainable going forward,” she said.

Ambrose worked for the Atlanta History Center for 14 years before being hired at The Tubman in February 2006.

At that time, the museum was trying to raise more than $8 million to move from its 8,500-square-foot space at Walnut Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to its current location on Cherry Street.

The Tubman was founded by 1981 by Richard Keil.

This story was originally published July 24, 2019 at 2:18 PM.