The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today that its board of trustees has named Paul Edmondson its ninth President and CEO. Edmondson previously served as the organization’s General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer before being named Interim President last January.

Well known in the preservation field for leading an effective program of legal advocacy to save threatened places, Edmondson is also widely respected as someone who has worked to find practical and creative solutions in a broad range of projects and places. His selection reinforces the organization’s commitment to fostering innovative approaches to preserving America’s historic places. These include the 28 National Trust Historic Sites, as well as nationally significant historic places including the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., home to the Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorials; the childhood home of singer and civil rights pioneer Nina Simone in Tryon, N.C.; and the famed Doolan-Larson House on the corner of Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco, considered the birthplace of the 1960s counterculture movement.

“Paul’s experience, his lifelong commitment to preservation, and his integrity, make him perfectly suited to lead the National Trust,” said Tim Whalen, National Trust Chairman. “He has been an effective advocate for protecting historic places, as well as someone who has worked to see that our historic resources are recognized as vibrant and essential community assets. He is also committed, as is the entire organization, to ensure that we tell the full American story so that all citizens can see themselves in our work.”

“I am truly honored by the board’s decision,” said Edmondson. “As the leader of the preservation movement, the National Trust must serve not only as a strong national voice for America’s historic places, but also as an effective and inclusive partner to those who are engaged in preservation at the state and local levels—as advocates, community leaders, planners, and developers. That has been the hallmark of my career at the National Trust to date, and will be reflected in our work moving forward.”

Edmondson has served as the National Trust’s general counsel for more than two decades.During that time, he has championed the strong enforcement and interpretation of preservation laws at the federal, state, and local levels. He has engaged with developers to find effective compromise solutions to preservation challenges, such as persuading Walmart to move a development away from the Wilderness Battlefield in Virginia to a more appropriate site nearby.In his work with National Trust Historic Sites, he has advanced new shared-use operating models designed to ensure their long-term sustainability and relevance in modern-day life. He has also worked to engage Americans in preservation causes internationally, such as the Ernest Hemingway home, Finca Vigía, in Cuba.

Edmondson previously served as a member of the National Trust’s executive leadership under former presidents Richard Moe and Stephanie Meeks. His full bio is available at http://www.savingplaces.org/executive-team.

About the National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works on behalf of, and with the support of, the American public to save our nation’s historic places. In its 70th year, the National Trust is dedicated to preserving the places that reflect our diverse experiences. From iconic historic homes and celebrated architectural marvels, to vibrant main streets and reinvigorated cities, the National Trust invests in the future by preserving the places that matter. www.savingplaces.org