INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Le Monte Booker will take over as the Newfields president and chief executive officer in October, but one community member does not think this change in leadership will create change at Newfields.

Wildstyle Paschall, a community advocate, says he has a lot of concerns about the institution.

“I’m happy for Mr. Booker, but I am not optimistic about the situation at Newfields,” Paschall said. “I think that this is not a one-man problem or a one-person problem. I think this is an issue with the board leadership.”

Newfields announced Booker’s new role Monday afternoon. Booker served as the chief financial officer for the Field Museum in Chicago for nearly nine years.

A museum statement said Booker “possesses the right mindset, temperament, aptitude and leadership skills needed for this role.”

The release continued, “(Booker) stood out not only for meeting all of our initial search criteria, but also for bringing fresh perspectives we hadn’t previously considered to the process.”

Booker’s selection comes after the museum faced a national outcry over racism.

In February 2021, former CEO Charles Venable resigned after a museum job posting sought someone who could diversify the institution, but maintain its “traditional, core, white art audience.”

His replacement, Collete Pierce Burnett, the first Black woman to lead Newfields, was at the helm for 15 months but left under mysterious circumstances.

Museum officials have never fully explained what happened.

Her departure sparked protests in November 2023, concerned with the lack of transparency and treatment of the institution’s first Black female president and CEO.

News 8 first spoke to Paschall during a November protest.

“(She was) making real change at Newfields, which is something we had never seen before,” Paschall said. “And for her to be summarily dismissed like that, it was really upsetting, and I felt that was a fight against progress in the city. What I want to hear is the truth someday from Newfields. I don’t have any expectations.”

Paschall previously had a seat on the community board. He does not anticipate a cultural change at Newfields even with the leadership change.

In 2023, Paschall called for leadership, and he echoed that call on Monday.

“I think unless the board leadership is going to finally step down after he gets here I don’t think he’s got much of a chance of changing anything there either,” Paschall said.

Newfields’ leaders declined News 8’s request for an interview but did tell us they expect to talk more about Booker’s vision for the museum as he gets closer to taking over the job.