Gilded Age Connections: Philadelphia & Newport's Shared Legacy
Code: SL51815
Dates: November 5, 2021
Meets: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Sessions: 1
Location: Creutzburg Center
Course Fee: $39.00
Sorry, we are no longer accepting registrations for this course. Please contact our office to find out if it will be rescheduled, or if alternative classes are available.
Art and architecture have connected Philadelphia and Newport from the colonial era to the present day. Trudy Coxe will illuminate these connections and highlight the extensive conservation work on Newport’s architectural treasures that the Preservation Society has undertaken over its 76-year history. She will share her analysis of the future of historic preservation and the strategic evolution necessary to ensure that our stories, and the buildings that house them, will be properly safeguarded for generations to come.
Trudy Coxe
As CEO and Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County, Trudy Coxe oversees a collection of 11 historic house museums, including seven National Historic Landmarks, spanning nearly 300 years of American architectural history. These include the Gilded Age icons, The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms and Rosecliff. Prior to the COVID -19 pandemic the Preservation Society of Newport County also known as the Newport Mansions had 400 full-time and seasonal employees, an annual operating budget of $25 million, 35,000 members and it delivered over one million tours for four consecutive years.The Newport Mansions is the most visited cultural attraction in Rhode Island, and ranks among the top four in New England. Trudy’s key accomplishments include: · raising $39 million for a recent comprehensive campaign · launching an aggressive plan to ensure the long-term preservation of the houses, eliminating a deferred maintenance bill of $13 million · achieving accreditation, and later reaccreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (fewer than 1,100 of the 35,000 museums in the U.S. are accredited) · establishing a Fellows program for young scholars · creating popular app/audio tours at the most visited houses · growing the organization's membership from 3,800 to 35,000 supporters Immediately prior to joining the Preservation Society in December 1998, Coxe served six years as Massachusetts’ Secretary of Environmental Affairs, where she presided over completion of the Boston Harbor cleanup and creation of the next generation of clean drinking water technology; protected more than 100,000 acres of land; and led the national fight for alternative- fueled vehicles. Previously, she was Executive Director of Rhode Island’s Save The Bay for 11 years, turning it into the largest citizen action organization in New England. She also served for two years as Director of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Coxe holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Roger Williams University, an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Rhode Island, and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Other honors include: the 2018 Woman of the Year Award by the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, the 2011 Business Woman Award for Overall Career Achievement from the Providence Business News, and a 2006 Award of Excellence from the National Garden Clubs, Inc. for her lifetime of environmental advocacy. In 2014, she was named one of the 30 Most Powerful Women in Rhode Island by Rhode Island Monthly magazine. She is also a past recipient of the Mary Brennan Tourism Award from the Rhode Island Hospitality Association. She serves on several boards, including, Grow Smart Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Commodores. In addition, she sits on the Advisory Board of the Conservation Law Foundation/Rhode Island, the Audubon Society of RI and she is an Incorporator of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, BankNewport and the Newport Health Care Corporation.N/A
