Matthew Teitelbaum, director of the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), has been appointed as the new president of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD).

The one-year appointment, announced 12 June, was received with delight among the 175 members of AAMD.

Peter Morrin, the outgoing president and director of the Speed Art Museum, said: “AAMD is very fortunate to have the leadership of Matthew in promulgating the highest standards of professionalism for art museum in North America.”

Teitelbaum is seen as a passionate advocate for the visual arts and has spent the last two decades working in art museums across North America.

Appointed as chef curator of the AGO in 1993, Teitelbaum took over as director in 1998. During his time at the AGO, the gallery has doubled its holdings with acquisitions that include paintings by Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh.

Formed in 1996, the AAMD comprises of art museum directors from Canada, the US and Mexico, and works to enhance the role of art museums in society.