Stephanie Meeks named 8th President of National Trust for Historic Preservation
Posted June 14, 2010 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
Washington, D.C. (June 14, 2010) — The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today that it has selected Stephanie Meeks, an experienced non-profit leader, as its next president.
J. Clifford Hudson, chairman of the National Trust's board of trustees and of its search committee said, "We are extremely pleased that Stephanie has accepted our invitation to lead the Trust at this critical point in its history. Her unmistakable passion for the work of the Trust, combined with her experience in leading large and complex mission-driven organizations, makes her the ideal candidate to take the Trust to the next level. All of us who have met her are enthusiastic about the prospect of working with her in the years to come." Hudson, who is chairman and CEO of the Sonic Corp. in Oklahoma City, said Meeks, 45, has been a member of the National Trust for many years. She currently lives in Falls Church, Virginia but hails from Colorado.
Meeks currently serves as president and CEO of Counterpart International, a $110 million development organization in 25 countries. She earlier spent 18 years at The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest and most influential conservation organizations in the world, where she held a number of leadership positions including chief operating officer and, for nearly a year, acting president and CEO. Her biography can be found on the National Trust website, www.PreservationNation.org.
"It is with great enthusiasm and respect that I look forward to joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation next month," Meeks said. "It is an important organization with a vital mission, and I enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to build on the remarkable foundation laid by Dick Moe over the past seventeen years. Holding true to the values of preserving our nation's heritage, I hope to expand upon his work to broaden the reach of the Trust to encompass the protection of important places at the heart of all of our communities. At this time in our history, we have an opportunity – and a need – to embrace what makes our individual communities unique and authentic and celebrate and preserve those qualities."
Meeks said she plans to begin in her new position in July. She will succeed Richard Moe, who retired earlier this month after 17 years at the Trust.
"I am very excited that Stephanie will lead the Trust in this new era," Moe said. "She has the perfect combination and talents and experiences to lead the Trust and the preservation movement toward greater impact and relevance, particularly in areas like sustainability and economic development. She and the Trust clearly have many shared values. I congratulate the search committee and the Board for making such a superb choice."
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
