Executive Staff
President and Chief Executive Officer
Stephanie K. Meeks brings deep experience helping large, stewardship-driven nonprofits focus their vision and align their operations to achieve mission success. Under her leadership, the National Trust works to save nationally important places, and helps local preservationists and partner groups protect historic places nationwide. Prior to joining the National Trust in 2010, Stephanie served as President and CEO of Counterpart International. She also held senior executive positions, including Acting President and CEO, during her 17-year career with The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest conservation organizations. While there, she led the three largest capital campaigns in conservation history and helped save numerous world-class places. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Colorado, an MBA from The George Washington University and currently serves as vice chair of the Potomac Conservancy board.
Chief of Staff
Tabitha Almquist provides strategic direction and cross-organizational coordination to implement the president’s agenda. She also oversees Trustee relations and internal communications and has responsibility for managing the organization’s strategic planning process. Prior to joining the organization 11 years ago, she served in a congressional press office, worked on several statewide and federal political campaigns, and spent time in a lobbying and public relations firm. She has also assisted in the editing of two children’s books. She grew up in a family of preservationists and restoration architects and considers herself a preservationist from birth. She holds a journalism degree from The George Washington University.
Executive Vice President and Chief Preservation Officer
David J. Brown directs the Trust’s comprehensive array of preservation projects, historic sites and partner services. Prior to joining the Trust 15 years ago, he served as founding executive director of the Preservation Alliance of Virginia, a consortium of 150 preservation and conservation groups, where he led a successful campaign for state rehabilitation tax credits. To date, the credits have spurred investments of more than $300 million in over 250 historic buildings. David also served as director of the Historic Staunton Foundation in Staunton, Virginia, and has authored numerous publications. A Tennessee native, he was among the first graduates of Middle Tennessee State University’s historic preservation program. He also holds a master’s in planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Chief Legal Officer
Over a 25-year career with the National Trust, Paul Edmondson has worked on a variety of legal issues pertaining to the protection of historic resources, from matters of constitutional law to tax incentives to local landmarks issues. He oversees all of the organization’s legal services, as well as the National Trust Legal Defense Fund and the organization’s easement programs. As corporate secretary, he is also responsible for overseeing the Trust’s bylaws, minutes and other corporate governance matters. He holds an undergraduate degree in anthropology from Cornell and practiced for several years as an archeologist before entering law school at American University. Prior to joining the National Trust, he was a senior attorney for the federal government.
Chief Financial Officer
Rosemarie Rae leads the Trust’s finance, human resources and information technology functions and oversight responsibility for two of the strategies in the Trust’s strategic plan: achieving financial strength and creating a 21st century workplace. Prior to joining the Trust in 2011, she served as an executive vice president and CFO at Volunteers of America. She has held senior leadership positions at Experience Works and LORAL Space and Communications, and was a principal and founder of Balrae Associates, a technical services firm. She holds a BS in accounting from Radford University, a master’s in public administration from American University and is a doctoral candidate in organizational design at The George Washington University. She is also a certified public accountant.
Chief Development Officer
Debra Neuman leads the Trust’s fund-raising efforts on behalf of America’s historic places. Prior to joining the Trust in 2013, she held senior positions with Arthritis Foundation, the University of California—San Diego Foundation, CARE USA and IBM. She brings more than 30 years of non-profit and corporate marketing, communications and fund-raising experience to the Trust. She is the former owner of a 210-year-old home and has a deep personal interest in the history of places. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and has studied at the Sorbonne, Cambridge and Columbia.
Senior Vice President of Historic Sites
Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez leads the staff and volunteer stewards at the Trust’s historic sites. Prior to joining the National Trust in 2011, he served as executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in New Mexico, which includes an art museum, performing arts center, archive/library and vibrant educational department. He also served as the state historian for New Mexico and chair of the New Mexico Cultural Properties Review Committee. He holds a BA in English literature and ethnic studies from the University of California at Berkeley and an MA and Ph.D. in American cultures from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he completed an award-winning dissertation on American Indian slavery and identity in the Southwest. He is a native New Mexican, raised in both northern Taos county and the southern part of Colorado’s San Luis Valley.
Chief Marketing Officer
Terry Richey brings both corporate and non-profit marketing experience to his role as leader of the National Trust‘s membership and marketing programs. In his business career, he provided marketing strategy to a number of the country’s leading corporations, with a focus on new product development and brand management. His work led to a business book, The Marketer’s Visual Tool Kit, and a seminar series that took him around the world speaking on innovation and strategy. In his non-profit career, he led the marketing and fund-raising efforts of both The Nature Conservancy and Special Olympics before joining the Trust in the fall of 2010. In his free time, Terry is a house restoration addict, having taken on a range of properties from a turn-of-the-century mansion to an adobe ranch house. He received a degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
