Trudy Coxe was named Chief Executive Officer of The Preservation Society of Newport County in December 1998 following a nationwide search by the Society’s Board of Trustees.

A non-profit organization that has been responsible for the preservation, restoration and revitalization of some of Newport’s most outstanding buildings and landscapes, the Preservation Society operates 11 historic buildings open to the public, spanning nearly 300 years of American architectural history. 

As CEO, Coxe oversees more than 400 employees and has directed the growth of the organization’s operating budget from $12 million to $17 million annually.  Visitation has also grown, setting a new record in 2001 with more than 926,000 visits.  Coxe oversaw the development of a computerized facilities management database which concluded that $100 million will need to be spent over the next 30 years to maintain the Newport Mansions in mint condition.  She has stepped up the Society’s revenue-generating programs by dramatically increasing fundraising, retail sales at the Society’s eight museum stores, and membership, which grew by 200% during 2001 alone.

Under her leadership, ten of the Society’s properties were designated as Official Projects of Save America’s Treasures, a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The Society is currently seeking accreditation by the American Association of Museums.

Immediately prior to joining the Preservation Society, Coxe served as Massachusetts’ Secretary of Environmental Affairs from 1993 through 1998. Previously, she was Executive Director of Rhode Island’s Save the Bay for 11 years, turning it into the largest citizen action organization in New England.  She also served for two years as Director of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Among her more recent honors, Coxe was the recipient of the 2001 Mary Brennan Tourism Award from the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association.  She holds an  Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Rhode Island, and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

Coxe currently serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations, including the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, the National Recreation and Park Association, Preservation Action, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Grow Smart Rhode Island, the Wheeler School and Earth Share New England.  She is a member of Skal International, a professional organization of tourism leaders; an Incorporator of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the Bank of Newport and the Newport Health Care Corporation; a trustee of the Community College of Rhode Island Foundation; and a member of the Advisory Board of the Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting.