James Burress

Director of Finance

Jim Burress joined the Society as Finance Director in 1993. In addition to his responsibilities for budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, tax compliance, insurance and the endowment, he also oversees human resources and information technology for the Preservation Society. In 2011, he was named non-profit CEO of the Year by Providence Business News.

Jim graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., and received an M.S. in accounting from Georgetown University, graduating first in his class.  

A Certified Public Accountant, he is on the finance committee of the Newport Historical Society and is a Corporator of BankNewport and treasurer of the Trinity Church Landmark Preservation Fund, which supports Trinity Church in Newport, a national historic landmark building constructed in 1726. He served 14 years as treasurer and warden of Trinity Church and eight years as treasurer and president of Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island and sings tenor with Ecclesia, an auditioned chamber chorus, and with the Providence Singers, an auditioned chorus of over 100 voices, on whose board he served for eight years, three as treasurer.