IN THIS INQUISITIVE Q&A series, we get to learn a bit about the new CEO of the Bishop Museum, Andrew M. Sandall. From his favorite fictional villains to his favorite foods, you might discover more than you thought possible in one short magazine article.


A recent day in the life?  A great thing about my job is there is rarely a ‘typical’ day, so for the sake of simplicity I’ll describe yesterday: As usual, I started my day in a very British way—with a pot of hot tea while catching up on the overnight news. I arrived at work and immediately dashed to a meeting where we finalized the updated Americans with Disabilities Act plan for the museum. I then had the opportunity to catch up on some emails before having conversations with the staff. Lunch was a mix of socializing and work. I met with the head of the local economic development commission, then it was back to the museum for a few hours before driving into NYC for dinner with an old friend and program collaborator who I hope to keep working with once back in Florida. Of course, I took advantage of being in the city to catch a show at my favorite comedy club before heading home through the Holland Tunnel.


Your favorite virtue is. . . kindness, although patience is a very, very close second for me.


When you were a kid you dreamed of . . .becoming a motorbike racer. Spent many childhood weekends going to races with my family, but never ended up even owning a motorbike, let alone racing one. Ended up doing that in cars and karts but never on two wheels. 

Your guilty pleasure  . . . An evening of baseball, preferably a minor league game in a quirky ballpark.

Thought you had driving to work this morning . . .  I really need to get on with my packing tonight because the movers will be here sooner than I know it.

For what fault have you been the most tolerant? It’s evolved a lot over time. I’d say when I was younger, I was probably over-tolerant of many faults in people I encountered, but that changes as you get older. I guess I still try and be tolerant when people make mistakes or have faults.


Your favorite villains in fiction? I got very into playing Red Dead Redemption 2 on my Xbox during the pandemic, and love the immersive storyline of that game, so I’m going for Micah Bell and Dutch Van der Linde. 


My last supper would include . . .  fried chicken, corn, and mashed potato followed by some peanut butter cream pie, all from Yoder’s in Sarasota.


With two more hours in the day, I would . . .  keep up with my podcasts much better than I’ve been able to do these last couple of years. I have several that I’ve listened to for many years, but since the pandemic, I’ve added a few new ones, othe ones I love have been more prodigious in their output.


Your favorite music artists? Music has been a massive part of my life since I was a child, so I could probably fill all these pages just listing obscure bands I think everyone should listen to. The two constants who really changed my appreciation of music are Canadian jazz-punk pioneers ‘No Means No’, and the uncategorizable cult English band ‘Cardiacs’, both of whom I’ve listened to at least weekly since first hearing both in the late 80s.


If not yourself, who would you be? Maybe Michael Palin, who got to be a member of Monty Python, then make some great movies and has spent the last 30 years or so just traveling the world, meeting interesting people.


If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? If I wanted to get people on quickly, to ensure I got to talk to them before the show got canceled, it would be Paul McCartney, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, and the actor and movie maker Christopher Guest.


What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done?  When a nervous, 15-year-old me first walked onto a stage holding a guitar and played in front of people with a band, even if the audience was only my fellow school pupils back then. Oh, and the time I was racing my friend’s stock car at Orlando Speed World and the throttle hung wide open as I tried to brake to go into turn one.


Which cartoon character best represents your personal philosophy? I was stumped by this so tried an online quiz and it told me Lisa Simpson! I think if I chose it would probably be Linus from Peanuts, and maybe a bit of Charlie Brown’s optimism in the face of adversity thrown in the mix.


The biggest fashion faux pas?  I’m still haunted by all the men wearing socks with their sandals I saw during my childhood trips to the beach back home.