High Museum of Art COO resigns as Woodruff Arts Center refers missing-funds case to federal prosecutors

Senior leadership exit follows internal findings of financial irregularities

A senior executive at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art has resigned after an internal review concluded that significant funds were missing and that the irregularities could be traced to the former official, the museum’s parent organization said Tuesday.

The Woodruff Arts Center, the Midtown nonprofit that oversees the High Museum as well as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theatre, said the museum’s chief operating officer, Brady Lum, resigned after the review identified approximately $600,000 as stolen. The organization said it does not anticipate an impact on day-to-day operations or overall financial stability.

What the investigation found and how the case is being handled

Woodruff leadership said the matter began in early December, when High Museum leaders identified what they described as financial irregularities. Those concerns were escalated to the museum’s executive committee and then to Woodruff’s governing board, which initiated an independent review.

Woodruff engaged outside counsel and an independent forensic accountant to examine what occurred and to assess internal processes. Woodruff’s governing board voted to refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for potential criminal prosecution. Federal prosecutors are expected to determine whether charges are warranted and what investigative steps to take next.

Woodruff has said it will pursue restitution and has begun a review of controls to strengthen financial oversight.

Timeline and scope

Woodruff leadership said the suspected misappropriation occurred over several years, with estimates describing a three- to four-year period. Lum, who was hired in February 2019, resigned in December after the irregularities were traced back to him. Woodruff has said it believes he acted alone.

Woodruff has not publicly released the investigative report, citing legal considerations, but has stated it is working with specialists to identify process improvements and reduce the likelihood of similar failures in the future.

Institutional context and governance implications

The High Museum is a major cultural institution in the Southeast and operates as a division of the Woodruff Arts Center. The case places renewed attention on nonprofit financial controls—particularly where senior executives may have access to payment processes, vendor relationships, or approval pathways that can be difficult to monitor without layered review.

• Woodruff has said the alleged theft is not expected to affect programming or visitor operations.
• The organization has engaged forensic accounting expertise and other outside specialists.
• Next steps on any criminal case rest with federal prosecutors.

Woodruff said it has notified some donors and intends to continue communicating about actions taken to safeguard funds, while the review of controls and the prosecutorial referral proceed.