The chief operating officer of a Georgia art museum has resigned after an internal investigation was launched into his alleged theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Brady Lum tendered his resignation on December 9 and allegedly misappropriated about $600,000 worth of funds that belonged to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Woodruff Arts Center, which oversees the museum, believes Lum acted alone and stole the money over a period of three to four years.
On Tuesday, Woodruff's governing board voted to refer the matter to the local US Attorney's Office in Atlanta.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, US Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said he received the referral and relayed it to the FBI for further review.
Woodruff CEO and President Hala Moddelmog told the outlet in an interview that Lum abused his power as the head of the museum.
'We believe that Lum abused his executive level position at the High to access the money and hide what he did for several years,' Moddelmog said.
The High Museum of Art is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeast and is a division within the Woodruff Arts Center, which also manages the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Alliance Theatre.
Brady Lum has been accused by his former colleague at the High Museum of Art of stealing $600,000 from the organization over the course three to four years
Lum served as the chief operating officer of the High Museum of Art (pictured) in Atlanta. It is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeast
Moddelmog said Woodruff launched an investigation in December after leadership at the museum found financial irregularities.
Moddelmog also hired law firm King & Spalding to conduct a review, plus an independent forensic accountant to check the museum's finances.
The Woodruff Arts Center released a statement to WSB-TV saying it does not believe this will negatively impact its finances.
'We do not anticipate any impact on the High Museum or the Woodruff Art Center's financial stability or operations, the statement said.
'We’ve engaged an independent forensic auditor and other experts to review this matter and identify improvements to strengthen the High Museum and the Woodruff Art Center's processes.
'We are committed to strong stewardship of the generous support entrusted to us by our patrons and community.'
In fiscal year 2024, Woodruff reported about $131.5 million in revenue, according to an IRS Form 990. The year before, it made $99.8 million.
In fiscal year 2024, Lum earned a salary of $312,374, making him the sixth highest-paid person in the organization. He made $298,044 in fiscal year 2023.
Woodruff Arts Center CEO and President Hala Moddelmog said Lum abused his position for years to misappropriate the funds
Lum was hired at the museum in February 2019, according to a now-deleted press release from the museum at the time.
From 1993 to 2008, he held various leadership positions at Coca-Cola, a company with a strong presence in Atlanta.
He then became the COO of Special Olympics International, where he was tasked with organizing operations and functions of 250 associates across seven countries.
He worked there until 2013, before returning to Coca-Cola in 2014 as the senior vice president and general manager of Coca-Cola/Keurig Ventures North America.
The Daily Mail approached Lum for comment.
