The Studio Museum in Harlem, NY has named Chakshu Patel director of institutional advancement, where she will handle the museum’s capital and annual fund-raising initiatives, along with its strategic direction and management responsibilities.

Patel most recently served as vice president in the strategy office of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

In a statement, Patel said that in her new position, she hoped to “further solidify the Museum’s place as a premier center for contemporary artists of African descent, locally, nationally and globally.”

The museum is building a new home at its current site on 125th Street in Harlem, NY. Designed by Adjaye Associates in collaboration with Cooper Robertson, the building is expected to open in 2021.

The campaign to fund its construction is the largest in the museum’s history. The $175 million campaign was launched to meet construction costs, provide an operating and capital reserve fund, and build the museum’s endowment.

In addition to public and private commitments, the museum partnered with Sotheby’s to grow the building fund. With works donated by 42 artists, the museum’s Creating Space auction raised $20.2 million in May 2018.

The museum also announced in February that it would launch a partnership with the Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1, so that exhibitions could be held while the museum is closed.

Patel joins the museum after an 11-year tenure at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Previously, in her role as PPFA’s national director of foundation relations and donor communications, she focused on raising funds for key initiatives. Under Patel’s leadership, the museum said, the department realized marked growth in revenue and personnel.

Before joining PPFA, she was an attorney at the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project and also worked in private practice. Patel earned a JD from New York University School of Law.