After 12 years of service with the Getty Conservation Institute, Rona Sebastian has been given a new role by Stephen Rountree, Getty Trust executive vice president. On July 1, 1999, she began working for Rountree, helping to develop an Office of Strategic Partnerships for the Getty at large. The office will explore ways to develop new partnerships and build upon existing collaborations and relationships to enhance appreciation and support for the arts.

Rona has had a long career with the Getty. She first came to the Trust in 1985, when she was hired as the administrator for several Getty programs, among them the Grant Program, the Museum Management Institute, and Trust Public Affairs. Two years later she joined the GCI as its administrator, and in 1989, she was appointed associate director for administration at the Institute. During 1990, she was acting co-director of the GCI, following the departure of the Institute's first director, Luis Monreal. Rona continued to serve as an associate director under his successor, Miguel Angel Corzo. In 1997, she was named the GCI's deputy director, a position she held until her recent departure for the Trust.

"During my tenure at the GCI, Rona has been a loyal and thoughtful colleague," said Timothy Whalen, who assumed the directorship of the GCI in December 1998. "I've very much appreciated Rona's support and hard work. I wish her every success with her new assignment."

"My 12 years at the GCI have been extraordinary," Rona noted. "I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with organizations and individuals around the world who deeply value the world's cultural heritage and who share a common concern for its long-term preservation."