Meet the BACC Board: Whitney Drechsler

As one of the few nonprofit regional conservation centers in the United States, and the only such center in the western region, the Balboa Art Conservation Center is undergoing transformational change as it shifts into a radically inclusive and accessible art conservation organization. The BACC Board helps nourish this shift while ensuring the organization's vision for inclusion has long-term systemic impact. 

The BACC Board of Trustees is led by Board President Dana Springs and boasts a board membership that is 50% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). In addition to its racial diversity, BACC board members are located throughout BACC’s service area, including Seattle, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. They bring a range and depth of expertise in community organizing, arts management and advocacy, fundraising, conservation, education, and financial management. Their diverse perspectives and skills are essential as BACC seeks to fulfill its vision for equity and healing within our own structure and workplace, as well as the communities we serve. 

​Throughout 2023, we are highlighting each of our Board Members to better understand what excites them about being a part of the BACC Team at this transformative time.
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Whitney Drechsler (she/her/hers) is Director of Estate & Tax Solutions, LourdMurray. After receiving her law degree and working for several years as a practicing attorney, she transferred her skills to the realm of finance where she has been since 2015.  In her current role at LourdMurray, an independent financial advisory firm in California and Louisiana, she leads the Estate and Tax Planning group where she can provide education and advice to both clients and colleagues.  In this role she provides comprehensive wealth planning to artists, athletes, entertainers, business owners and families, with an emphasis on tax and estate planning and strategy.  

Philanthropy and charitable planning are an integral part of her life and career. In addition to donating her time, she helps guide non-profit organizations with investment management, corporate governance, planned giving and family legacy. She holds a bachelor of Business Administration, Legal Studies, with a minor in Art History, from the University of Miami, Florida. She received her JD with a focus on Art, Intellectual Property and Contract Law, from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and followed it with an LLM in International Tax and Financial Services. Whitney also holds the Certified Financial Planner® designation. Whitney will be pursuing her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy(R) designation in 2024.

Whitney lives in San Diego with her dog and boyfriend, and enjoys outdoor adventures, live music, world travel, golf, and sports. 

BACC: How does your professional, community, and/or cultural work inform your role as a BACC Board Member? 

Whitney: Since I was in college, I have taken an interest in both business and organizational administration, and the arts. The intersection of these disciplines has always fascinated me and driven many of my career and personal choices. I have tried to stay connected to arts communities, both locally and beyond, and my work on the board is a direct example of this. I have worked with various types of nonprofits for most of my education and professional career. 

Additionally, having a background in estate planning and finance allows me to be a trusted advisor to BACC for investment management, financial reviews and audits, and developing planned giving initiatives. As I pursue a further designation as a Certified Advisor in Philanthropy, I help to further guide the community, BACC, and my clients in effective charitable giving, and charitable organization management.

B: What excites you most about being on the BACC Board? 

W: I enjoy giving back and I consider philanthropy to be an integral component in my life. I also think the vast world of “the Arts” is fascinating in so many ways.  BACC combines science and art in ways I never knew was possible before my involvement with the organization and that is very exciting to me. 

It is exciting to be a part of this organization because I find the work of BACC crucial to cultural preservation and our conservators do it at the highest level of care and professionalism. 

B: If you could have one artwork or artifact (personal or otherwise) conserved by the BACC team, what would it be and why? 

W: My grandfather was an artist in several different mediums. His watercolor paintings and bronze sculptures are my favorites.  It is hard to choose one but as a general matter I would choose one of my grandfather’s works.

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