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Trudy Coxe joined The Preservation Society of Newport County as Chief Executive Officer in December 1998.
She oversees more than 400 employees and has directed the growth of the organization’s operating budget from $9 million to $16 million annually. Visitation has also grown, with more than 900,000 visits annually. Under her leadership, fundraising, retail sales at the Society’s eight museum stores, and membership have grown dramatically. Coxe has also overseen the development of a computerized facilities management database which concluded that $100 million must be spent over the next 30 years to preserve the Newport Mansions.
During her tenure, ten of the Society’s properties have been 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. In April of 2004, the Society received accreditation by the American Association of Museums; only 750 of the nation’s 16,000 museums are accredited.
Immediately prior to joining the Preservation Society, Coxe served as Massachusetts’ Secretary of Environmental Affairs from 1993 through 1998. 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.
Among her more recent honors, Coxe was the recipient of a 2006 Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs, Inc. for her lifetime of environmental advocacy, and the 2001 Mary Brennan Tourism Award from the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association. She holds an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Rhode Island, and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
Coxe’s volunteer involvement is extensive. She currently serves on the boards of the National Recreation and Park Association, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Grow Smart Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Commodores, the Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting, the Wheeler School, the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, Child and Family Services and the Attractions Council of Newport County. In addition, she sits on the Advisory Board of the Conservation Law Foundation/Rhode Island. Coxe is also a member of the Council of Advisors for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, and of Skal International, a professional organization of tourism leaders. She is an Incorporator of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, BankNewport and the Newport Health Care Corporation; and a trustee of the Community College of Rhode Island Foundation.
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