FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2019

Contact:
Eric Steigleder
Director of Public Relations & Marketing
esteigleder@thevalentine.org

The Valentine Names General Collections Curator, Appoints New Trustees

RICHMOND – Following an extensive national search, the Valentine has named Christina K. Vida as the new Elise H. Wright Curator of General Collections. In this new role, Vida will help oversee the  preservation and interpretation of the Valentine’s general collections, 1812 Wickham House and Edward V. Valentine Sculpture Studio.

Vida currently serves as the Virginia History Day Coordinator at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, and has served in a variety of roles in the public history sector, including Curator of Collections & Interpretation at Windsor Historical Society and Assistant Curator at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Additionally, Meg Hughes, who as Curator of Archives has managed the Valentine’s archival holdings since 2004, has accepted a new position as the Director of Collections/Chief Curator.

“At the core of the Valentine’s mission is our remarkable collection of over 1.6 million objects,” said Valentine Director Bill Martin. “These changes to our curatorial team foster innovation and  strengthen our commitment to the continued care and access of these important historic resources. We welcome Christina to the Valentine and are excited for her to bring her unique experience to Richmond’s oldest museum.”

The Valentine has also appointed a new slate of members to the Board of Trustees. These nine individuals represent a diversity of backgrounds, areas of expertise and interests that will continue to inform the museum’s community-focused work.

The full list of new board appointees can be found below:

Ed Ayers
President Emeritus, University of Richmond

 

 

 

Tracy Kemp Stallings
Adjunct faculty, VCU Department of Health Administration

 

 

 

 

Paula Pando
President, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College

 

 

 

 

Leah S. Rasmussen
Mitchell Wiggins

 

 

 

 

Susan Robertson
Founder, Capital Trees

 

Charlotte McGee
Senior Vice President and Market Sales Executive, U.S. Trust, Bank of America Wealth Management

 

 

Austin Jones
Business Development Manager, Dominion Energy

 

 

 

Saurabh Madaan
Managing Director, Investments, Markel Corporation

 

 

 

Elaine Ryan
Partner, McGuire Woods

 

 

 

“Our new additions to the Valentine’s Board of Trustees reflect our commitment to broadening the voices at the table, “ continued Martin. “It is essential that we continue to build and support the next generation of leadership to ensure our continued growth as an institution and our relevance to the Richmond community.”

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About the Valentine

The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond stories for more than a century. Through collections, exhibitions and programs, the Valentine provides residents and tourists the opportunity to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of this important region. The Valentine offers major changing exhibitions, which focus on American urban and social history, costumes, decorative arts and architecture. https://thevalentine.org/