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Ninety-six members of the Met’s staff accepted an offer of voluntary retirement, part of a wider staff reduction that also will cut employees by layoff and attrition and bring the payroll down by 357 positions, to 2,200. The museum’s Met Matters biweekly newsletter, which is sent to staff, names those who took buyouts. Many had served the museum for decades, and all had been there for at least 15 years and were older than 55. The list includes: Everett Fahy, chairman of the department of European paintings, with 22 years of service; Colta Ives, curator, drawings and prints, 43 years; Christine Lilyquist, curator in Egyptology, 38 years; Susan Allen, associate research curator, Egyptian art, 16 years; Kevin Avery, associate curator, American painting and sculpture, 20 years; Lucy Belloli, conservator of paintings, 27 years; Takemitsu Oba, conservator of Asian Art, 31 years; Sondra Castile, conservator of Asian art, 31 years. As a goodbye, Tom Campbell, the Met's director, and Emily Rafferty, president, invited all staff to a coffee reception to honor those who are leaving.

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