Kittell Accepts CEO Position at The Hermitage in Nashville
SVBF to initiate nationwide search for new executive director
For immediate release—September 17, 2008
Contact:
Howard J. Kittell /SVBF Executive Director (540-740-4545)
Irvin Hess/SVBF Chairman (540-249-0613)
NEW MARKET, Va.—Today the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation announced that its executive director, Howard J. Kittell, has accepted the position of President and CEO of The Hermitage, the presidential home of Andrew Jackson in Nashville, Tennessee. Kittell’s transition from the Battlefields Foundation to The Hermitage will take place in November.
“I am tremendously honored to have been approached by and ultimately offered the CEO position of The Hermitage,” said Kittell. “Since I first became interested in American Presidential history and American architecture, Andrew Jackson and The Hermitage have ranked with Washington, Jefferson,
Mt.
Vernon , and
Monticello as principal areas of interest for me.”
The Hermitage is owned and managed by the Ladies Hermitage Association (LHA). Founded in 1889, it is one of the first-generation preservation institutions along with the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association of the
Union . Today, The Hermitage consists of the 1,120-acre plantation, 32 historic buildings including two antebellum mansions, slave cabins and farm structures, the former Tennessee Confederate Soldiers Home, cemeteries, gardens, and a 25,000 square foot museum, visitor’s center, gift shop, and restaurant complex constructed in the 1980s. In addition, The Hermitage has one of the oldest archaeological programs at a historic site, with a collection of more than 800,000 artifacts. The Hermitage welcomes about 175,000 visitors annually and is supported by a staff of 30 full-time employees and 50 part-time employees.
Departure is “Bittersweet”
“Certainly, while I am looking forward to this new challenge, my decision to leave the Battlefields Foundation and the
Shenandoah Valley was not an easy one to make,” Kittell said. “Since August 1998 when I began my term as executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Commission and subsequently the Battlefields Foundation, I have devoted my heart and soul to the success of the National Historic District and the Foundation. I am deeply indebted to the Battlefields Commission and the SVBF Trustees who have encouraged my efforts to lead the Foundation within the directives of the 1996 enabling legislation and the approved Management Plan for the National Historic District. It has been a tremendous a privilege for me to have helped preserve some of
Virginia ’s historic sites and our nation’s history.”
Battlefields Foundation chairman Irvin Hess offered Kittell his congratulations. “This is bittersweet for us here at the Battlefields Foundation,” he said. “We are thrilled for Howard—this is a tremendous opportunity for him. But we feel sad at the departure of this great friend and effective leader. We are comforted in the knowledge that his incredible work here has paved the way for the Foundation’s ongoing and future success. But we will certainly miss him.”
During Kittell’s tenure, the Battlefields Foundation and the National Historic District have experienced a solid record of accomplishments. The District’s Management Plan, published by the federal Battlefields Commission in 2000, was completed in an abbreviated timeframe and under the budget set by the District’s legislation.
The Management Plan has guided the Battlefields Foundation’s work over the last eight years. Preservation plans have been completed for four of the Valley’s battlefields; more than 2,600 acres of battlefield land have been preserved by the Foundation and its partners; more than 80 Virginia Civil War Trails interpretive markers are in place throughout the region, interpreting the Valley’s Civil War history for visitors; several campaign booklets and battlefield driving tours have been published; a marketing plan for the District is in place; two Civil War orientation centers have opened in the District; and a comprehensive guide to the Valley’s Civil War story has been published.
Most importantly, the Battlefields Foundation has established itself as a balanced voice for battlefield protection and interpretation in the region and beyond, positioning it to be an effective partner and steward for the District in the future.
Transition Expected to Be Smooth, Supported by Organization’s Operational Plans
The Battlefields Foundation’s executive committee has approved a transition plan that calls for the creation of a committee of SVBF Trustees that will conduct a nationwide search for a new chief executive for the organization. The Foundation will be seeking an individual who clearly understands the unique role of the SVBF as the management entity for a National Heritage Area and who is committed to fulfilling the District’s 1996 enabling legislation and the recommendations in the District’s Management Plan – on which sustained federal funding is dependent. A new executive director is expected to be in place by early next year.
In addition, the Management Plan, as well as the Foundation’s strategic plan and its preservation, interpretive, and marketing plans will provide strong continuity through the leadership transition and will guide the organization’s ongoing work.
Kittell concluded, “It has been a great privilege to have worked for a succession of remarkable individuals who served as SVBF chairmen – Carrington Williams,
Patricia Zontine ,
Dan Stickley , Kris Tierney, and Irvin Hess. I especially want to thank Irvin for his dedication, counsel, and patience—I am grateful for his unwavering support for me personally and for the Foundation.”
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As authorized by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, the
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation serves as the non-profit manager of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, partnering with local, regional, and national organizations and governments to preserve the Valley’s battlefields and interpret and promote the region’s Civil War story.
Created by Congress in 1996, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District encompasses Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties in Virginia and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and
Winchester . The legislation authorizes federal funding for the protection of ten battlefields in the District: Second Winchester, Third Winchester, Second Kernstown, Cedar Creek, Fisher’s Hill, Tom’s Brook, New Market, Cross Keys,
Port
Republic , and McDowell.
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ON THE WEB:
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District:
www.ShenandoahAtWar.org
The Hermitage
www.TheHermitage.com
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