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.

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, Rhode Island.

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.

She 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. She has lived in Rhode Island for more than 20 years and makes her home in Pawtucket with her spouse, artist Gage Prentiss.

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, Paul 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, Paul 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.

Gina Tangorra, Director of Engagement, Newport Restoration Foundation

Currently the Director of Engagement, Gina Tangorra has been at Newport Restoration Foundation for 7 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, Gina was the Interpretive Specialist at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in Chicago, Illinois 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.

About the Newport Restoration Foundation: Founded in 1968 by philanthropist, collector, and preservationist Doris Duke (1912-1933), the nonprofit organization preserves, restores, and shares the architectural and cultural heritage of Newport. Today, NRF stewards more than 80 historic buildings and landscapes. 70 of these historic houses are lived in by tenants in a unique Tenant Stewardship program. Two of the historic sites are public-facing: Rough Point Museum and the Vernon House. In addition to the architectural and landscape portfolio, the organization maintains a collection of over 10,000 fine and decorative art objects—including a collection of 18th- century Newport furniture, over 2,000 objects of fashion, and more than 150 linear feet of institutional and architectural archives.Over the past decade, and following the legacy of founder Doris Duke’s life’s work, NRF has expanded its programmatic output and community engagement through core initiatives including Keeping History Above Water, which advocates for resiliency and the protection of cultural resources in the wake of climate change, the Historic Trades Initiative, which trains the next generation of preservation tradespeople in vital skills, and Telling Stories, which shares the stories of people connected to the places NRF cares for and helps ensure their preservation.