Gail Dexter Lord is President of Lord Cultural Resources Planning and Management Inc., which she co-founded in 1981 with her husband Barry Lord. Lord has grown to become the largest cultural planning firm in the world with offices in Canada, the United States, England, France, Spain, Germany and China. With over 30 years of experience in the museum and cultural sector, Gail brings exceptional vision and knowledge to each of the projects she leads. She is committed to assisting institutions, communities, and their leaders worldwide develop their cultural resources, including most recently: The World Trade Center Memorial Museum, Museo Guggenheim Bilbao and Guggenheim Museum, New York, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, The City of Toronto’s Cultural Attraction on the Waterfront, Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco, New Centre for Arts in Culture in Boston, Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, and Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, South Africa. Gail has been instrumental in developing museum planning having co-authored, with Barry Lord, The Manual of Museum Exhibitions (2001), The Manual of Museum Management (1999), The Manual of Museum Planning (1997), and The Cost of Collecting (1991); and, has published numerous articles on a wide range of museum topics. The Manual of Strategic Planning for Museums, co-authored with Kate Markert, has been launched by AltaMira Press in 2007.
In 2002, Gail’s ongoing dedication to promoting of culture was recognized when the Ontario Museum Association presented Gail and Barry with the Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Museum Field.