According to the NY Times, Timothy Potts, the former director of the Kimbell  Art Museum is on the list to succeed Philippe de Montebello at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. After 30 years at the Met’s helm, de Montebello announced on Tuesday that he’s retiring at the end of this year. Potts recently left the Fort Worth museum to head up the Fitzwilliams Museum in Cambridge, England.

It seems as if art museum directors are retiring faster than a good ping pong game. This blog has mentioned a few of these announcements, most recently Dorothy Kosinski’s appointment to succeed Jay Gates at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.

Museums are calling for directors who are not only good scholars or academic experts, as in the old days, but also financial wizards. It’s a tough game. If Potts makes it to the Met, he’s aced his career and he can thank the Kimbell for providing the major steping stone.