The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum announced the appointment of Sam Bright to the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Advisory Council. Bright joins new members Karen McCormick and Chris Thompson.
The Museum Advisory Council provides guidance on issues related to the strategic direction of the museum, including recommendations relating to collections, exhibitions and public education. Museum Advisory Council members help enhance the profile and the public’s understanding of the museum’s activities locally, nationally and internationally. The Council also aids the museum in strengthening its financial resources by providing leadership, guidance and assistance in its efforts to raise funds to support activities and core operations.
eBay’s Sam Bright is a seasoned Silicon Valley executive with more than 15 years of experience spanning strategy, investment banking, corporate development, market research, strategic partnerships and general management. As Vice President of Soft Goods at eBay, Bright leads a multi-billion-dollar business unit encompassing art and collectibles; fashion, media, toys, and lifestyle; sporting goods; and the soft home verticals as well as eBay Authenticate. Within collectibles, eBay is the ultimate postage destination with a wide selection of stamps – from rare, one-of-a-kind stamps to philatelic items to a comprehensive selection of mailing postage.
In prior roles, Bright led and scaled the strategic partnerships team at eBay, inking more than 70 deals in two years; served as a deal captain for eBay’s global merger and acquisition strategy team; and advised on $10 billion of buyside, sellside and joint venture deals as an associate at Merrill Lynch. Prior to graduate school, he rose through the ranks to become the youngest industry analyst at Forrester Research – writing research and providing consulting services for chief information officers. Bright began his career leading market research and special projects at a tech and advanced manufacturing-focused business incubator in northeast Indiana. He was named to Black Enterprise's 2018 “List of the Most Influential Blacks in Technology” and to The Network Journal's 2018 “40 Under Forty” class.
Bright joins Karen McCormick and Chris Thompson. McCormick who has nearly 40 years of experience in the mailing and postal industry. She is currently a government relations manager at the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), working with industry stakeholders to support current and future initiatives. Thompson is a senior manager and postal strategist for Shutterfly, Inc., with 18 years of experience in the postal, print, fulfillment and logistics industry.
Other distinguished members of the Council include:
- Bert Berkley, Chairman of the Board, Tension
- Michael Critelli, Former CEO, Pitney Bowes (Council Co-Chair)
- Sylvia Cyrus, Executive Director, Association for the Study of African American Life & History
- Hamilton Davison, President & Executive Director, American Catalog Mailers Association
- Jason Dies, Executive Vice President and President of SMB Solutions, Pitney Bowes
- Tim Nicholls, Senior Vice President, Industrial Packaging, The Americas, International Paper Company
- John Nolan, Former Deputy Postmaster General, U.S. Postal Service (Council Co-Chair)
- Joel Quadracci, Chairman & CEO, Quad Graphics
- David Sable, Non-Executive Chairman, VMLY&R
- Hamid Salemizadeh, Vice President Postal Automation, Siemens
About the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of the nation’s mail service and showcasing one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue N.E., Washington, D.C., across from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information about the Smithsonian, call (202) 633-1000 or visit the museum website at www.postalmuseum.si.edu.