America 250 and Beyond: Perspectives from Preservation Leaders

Trudy Coxe, CEO & Executive Director, The Preservation Society of Newport County

Trudy Coxe has been CEO & Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County since December 1998. A non-profit organization that has been responsible for the preservation, restoration and revitalization of some of Newport’s most significant buildings and landscapes, the Preservation Society operates 11 historic buildings open to the public, including seven National Historic Landmarks, spanning nearly 300 years of American architectural history. Several icons of the Gilded Age are among its most notable properties, including The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms and Rosecliff—all among the most visited historic house museums in the country.

Coxe oversees more than 400 full-time and seasonal employees, and has directed the growth of the organization’s operating budget to $20 million annually, and admissions to more than 900,000 annually. Under her leadership, fundraising, retail sales at the Society’s six museum stores, and membership have grown dramatically.

During her tenure, the Preservation Society received accreditation from the American Association of Museums, becoming one of only 750 museums nationwide to be accredited. In addition, ten of the Preservation 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.

Gregg Amore, Rhode Island Secretary of State

Gregg Amore has been Rhode Island Secretary of State since January 2023. He created and launched the department’s RI Civic Leadership Program, in which more than 300 students have participated. Amore also launched the Civic Education Teacher of the Year Award and a series of classroom lessons focused on voting rights, citizen duties and responsibilities, and the Declaration of Independence and Rhode Island’s role in the American Revolution.

Prior to serving as Secretary of State, Gregg taught Advanced Placement United States History and United States Civics and Government courses at East Providence High School for 27 years, and served as the District’s Athletic Administrator.

Previously as a state representative from East Providence, Amore was the original sponsor of the Hope Scholarship, providing two years of tuition-free education for students at Rhode Island College. In 2021, Rep. Amore cosponsored the law that requires students to demonstrate proficiency in civics education before high school graduation, and in 2021 and 2022, he cosponsored the Let RI Vote Act, which significantly expanded access to the ballot.

Amore earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Providence College in 1988 and a master’s degree in public policy from New England College in 2010.

Rebecca Bertrand, Executive Director, Newport Historical Society

Rebecca Bertrand serves as Executive Director of the Newport Historical Society, where she preserves and celebrates the rich history of Newport.

As the organization’s chief executive, Bertrand oversees the stewardship of a collection of centuries-old historic landmarks, including the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House (c.1697), the Great Friends Meeting House (c. 1699) and the Colony House (c. 1739). In this role, she leads the curation of engaging exhibitions for visitors of every age and interest. Under her leadership, the NHS has developed nationally recognized, innovative public programs that bring Newport's people, places and consequential moments to life for diverse audiences, and manages the Society's robust collection of over 500 years' worth of artifacts, documents and photographs.

Bertrand is a strong advocate for historic preservation beyond Newport as well. She is a board chair of Preserve Rhode Island, where she contributes her expertise to advance the preservation of the state's rich cultural heritage. She also sits on the Rhode Island 250 Commission and is the Treasurer of Discover Newport.

Bertrand holds a Master of Arts from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural & Historic Preservation from Salve Regina University. She and her fiancé practice what they preach, residing in a historic home in Newport’s famed colonial neighborhood, The Point.

C. Morgan Grefe, Ph.D., Executive Director, Rhode Island Historical Society

C. Morgan Grefe is the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Society. She has been at the RIHS since 2005, serving as the Director of the Goff Center for Education and Public Programs for 6.5 of those years. In the summer of 2011, she took the helm of the RIHS.

Her work as a historian focuses on U.S. social, cultural and public history, with special attention on R.I. She holds a Ph.D. in American Civilization from Brown and a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in the same. Her publications include, “How Rhode Island’s Lively Experiment Helped Chart the American Way,” “Sourcing a Rhode Island Legend: The Story of Kady Brownell,” and a children’s book based on the history of a great Rhode Island city, “The World in One Square Mile: Central Falls.” She is currently under contract with UMass Press on a forthcoming book related to carceral historic sites in the U.S.

Dr. Grefe lectures widely on topics relating to Rhode Island’s social and cultural history, as well as the history education crisis in our state and nation.

Paul Marshall, Executive Director, The Fort Adams Trust

Paul Marshall is the Executive Director of Fort Adams Trust, the nonprofit steward of Fort Adams State Park, a National Historic Landmark and the largest coastal fortification in the United States. He oversees preservation planning, public programming, visitor experience and partnerships in coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and state and federal preservation partners. Through his work, Marshall is focused on ensuring Fort Adams plays an active and meaningful role in America 250 and beyond, positioning the site as both a place of remembrance and a living civic and cultural asset for Newport and the Ocean State.

A lifelong Newporter and graduate of Rogers High School, Marshall developed an early appreciation for history, public lands and preservation through growing up in Newport and engaging with its historic landscapes. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master of Public Affairs from Brown University. His background spans from consulting, policy advocacy and nonprofit leadership, with a consistent focus on protecting historic and public places while expanding meaningful access and community engagement.

Lorén M. Spears, Executive Director, Tomaquag Museum

Lorén M. Spears, enrolled Narragansett Tribal Nation citizen and Executive Director of Tomaquag Museum, holds a master’s in education and received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in 2017 from the University of Rhode Island and Doctor of Education, honoris causa, from Roger Williams University in 2021. She is an author, artist and shares her cultural knowledge with the public through museum programs.

She has contributed to a variety of publications such as "Dawnland Voices: An Anthology of Indigenous Writing of New England"; "Through Our Eyes: An Indigenous View of Mashapaug Pond"; "From Slaves to Soldiers: The 1st Rhode Island Regiment in the American Revolution"; and "Repair: Sustainable Design Futures." Spears co-edited a new edition of "A Key into the Language of America" by Roger Williams, and recently co-authored “As We Have Always Done: Decolonizing the Tomaquag Museum’s Collections Management Policy" published in Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archive Professionals.

Under her leadership Tomaquag Museum received the Institute of Museums and Library Service's National Medal in 2016 and she has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including induction into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2025.

Gina Tangorra, Director of Engagement, Newport Restoration Foundation

Gina Tangorra has been at Newport Restoration Foundation for seven years, with evolving roles that have worked to advance NRF’s strategic engagement with communities, increase accessibility, spark curiosity and encourage a sense of belonging through inclusive storytelling.

Prior to coming to NRF, Tangorra was the Interpretive Specialist at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in Chicago, where she redesigned the museum’s interpretive content to include more nuanced, inclusive and engaging storytelling. She holds a MPhil in Modern European History from the University of Cambridge, a MSLIS from the Graduate School of Library & Information Sciences at the University of Illinois, and a B.A. in History and English Literature with a Minor in Hispanic Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Founded in 1968 by philanthropist, collector and preservationist Doris Duke (1912-1993), the nonprofit Newport Restoration Foundation preserves, restores and shares the architectural and cultural heritage of Newport. Today, NRF stewards more than 80 historic buildings and landscapes and a collection of over 10,000 fine and decorative art objects.