The Greenwich Historical Society Board of Trustees announces the appointment of Carol B. Cadou as the organization’s new Executive Director and CEO, effective August 25. Cadou brings over 30 years of museum management and curatorial experience with historic sites, libraries, archives, and fine and decorative arts collections, with prior leadership tenures at The National Society of Colonial Dames of America (NSCDA), Winterthur Museum, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Cadou joins the Historical Society following the previously announced retirement of Debra L. Mecky, who over the span of 30 years at the helm as Executive Director and CEO dramatically advanced the organization’s mission, transformed its site and operations, and expanded its reach and audience to become one of America’s foremost regional history museums.
“The search committee and Board of Trustees are thrilled to welcome Carol Cadou at an exciting and pivotal time of growth for our organization,” said Historical Society Board Chair Catherine Tompkins. “Looking ahead to next year and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence as well as to Greenwich Historical Society’s centennial milestone in 2031, we believe Carol’s leadership will help us fulfill our mission to preserve and interpret Greenwich history to strengthen the community’s connection to our past, to each other and to our future.”
Cadou will lead all operations and initiatives of the nationally accredited museum campus, encompassing a robust year-round schedule of dynamic art and history exhibitions, adult, family and school programs, community partnerships and events. “Carol Cadou, with her extensive experience and enthusiasm, will work closely with the staff and Board to sharpen the Historical Society’s vision for the future and further strengthen its position as the sole organization in Greenwich dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the town’s history, and stewardship of the National Historic Landmark Bush-Holley House,” said Peter Malkin, Honorary Trustee and member of the search committee.
In her positions as Executive Director of the NSCDA and the Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur Museum, Cadou guided two AAM-accredited institutions through the creation of new strategic plans with forward-looking mission and vision statements, the introduction of needed infrastructure and technology, governance discussions, and fundraising for high-quality exhibitions and ambitious capital projects.
At the NSCDA, Cadou completed a $2.5 million capital campaign for Dumbarton House Museum that included new lecture and meeting rooms, state of the art technology for on-site and virtual educational programming, a new Visitor’s Center, accessible entrances, and restored historic period rooms.
At Winterthur, she oversaw the preservation, conservation, exhibition, scope and content of Winterthur Museum’s collection of 200,000+ fine and decorative arts exhibited in 190 historic house museum rooms, and developed and managed a $20 million annual operating budget, collaborating with external auditors and investment managers to ensure fiscal responsibility and sustainability of a $350 million endowment.
“At a time when historic buildings and collections are threatened due to lack of funds, and American history is receiving less attention in K-12 curricula, Greenwich Historical Society has doubled down on its commitment to historic preservation and education,” said Cadou. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues and schools on this critical work.”
Born and raised in Ohio, Cadou holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College. She taught English in Japan before earning an American Arts certification at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and a Master of Arts degree from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the University of Delaware in 1996. She later received an MBA from Ohio University in 2019.
Cadou has authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books on American decorative arts, architecture, and historic preservation. In 2018, the University of Virginia Press published her edited volume entitled Stewards of Memory: The Past, Present, and Future of Historic Preservation at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Her forthcoming publication on the NSCDA’s 60+ historic sites is Great American Treasures: Women Preserving History Since 1891.
