Laurel Historical Society Names New Director

Laurel, Maryland…The Laurel Historical Society (LHS) is pleased to announce the selection of Ann Bennett as its new Executive Director beginning April 1, 2018. Bennett has more than 20 years’ experience working in museums, education and archaeology. She brings to the LHS a broad set of skills and hands-on experience in many areas, including education, grants, volunteer management, exhibits, and collections management.

“We are so pleased to have someone of Ann’s caliber lead the LHS. She will bring a multitude of interests and a skill set that matches our needs. When combined with her can-do attitude, I believe the LHS is set to write our next chapter in Laurel's history,” stated LHS Board Chair Jhanna Levin.

Noted Bennett: “I am excited to join the Laurel Historical Society because it is such a great asset to our community. I believe that small museums and historical societies are where the real treasures are, and there is something honest about collections and programs that connect so directly to the community in which they have always been. I look forward to meeting many new people from Laurel and beyond, and I invite everyone to stop by our museum during open hours.”

Ann Bennett has worked in cultural resource management for many years. She served as the curator of the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, as coordinator of the Hays-Heighe House at Harford Community College, and worked at PastPerfect Museum Software. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, with an MA in historical archaeology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. She is very active in local and regional historical and cultural organizations, and is the past-president of the Archaeological Society of the Northern Chesapeake. Mrs. Bennett is an also adjunct professor in anthropology and sociology at Cecil College. She has presented at the Small Museum Association, and at a number of professional meetings and is the author of “From Resident to Relevance: Making an Academic Museum at Harford Community College,” in Academic Museums: Beyond Exhibitions and Education Ed. Mark Gold (London: MuseumsETC Ltd, 2012). She is interested in kayaking, genealogy, traveling, and living history interpretation. Mrs. Bennett and her husband Robert live in the Laurel area.

The Laurel Historical Society was founded in 1975. Since 1996 it has operated the Laurel Museum, whose current exhibit “We the People: How Civic Engagement Shaped Laurel,” runs through December 2018. The Laurel Museum is open Wednesdays and Fridays 10-2, Sundays 1-4. Group tours by appointment. Admission is free. The Laurel Library and digitized Laurel Leaders and other items from the LHS collection are open to researchers by appointment Monday-Friday and online to members. The Laurel Museum is located at 817 Main Street, Laurel, Md. For appointments or for additional visitor information contact 301-725-7975 or info@laurelhistoricalsociety.org or visit www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org ##