Keynote Speaker

Noreen Stonor Drexel Historic Preservation Keynote: Rebecca Bertrand

The Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historic Preservation Program is pleased to welcome Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society (NHS), to deliver this year's keynote address: "Preservation for the Present: Reimagining Institutions as Instruments for Remembrance and Change."

On the cusp of 2026, the semiquincentennial of the founding of the nation, the NHS is embarking on a transformational journey. This keynote will address how the NHS is actively re-examining the narratives it presents to the public. As a nonprofit organization founded in 1854 to preserve and interpret the history of Newport County, the NHS is working to actively move beyond a singular historical viewpoint to acknowledge and explore the stories often silenced.

The NHS is utilizing exhibitions, archival research and digital tools to amplify previously underrepresented voices. This keynote conversation will explore the power of these initiatives to foster a more inclusive understanding of Newport's past – a past that informs not only our sense of community identity but also paves the way for a more just future.

The address will explore the process behind multi-year efforts to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous people, including a preview of new and exciting work to come. The NHS is making space for underrepresented voices through the growing "Voices from the NHS Archives" database, compelling exhibitions and beyond. One such exhibition - "A Name, A Voice, A Life: The Black Newporters of the 17th-19th Centuries" - will be on view during the conference at the NHS resource center.

This address will explore the potential of historical institutions to serve as powerful instruments for remembrance, understanding and positive change.

Rebecca Bertrand

Rebecca Bertrand stepped into the role of executive director of the Newport Historical Society in January 2023. She oversees the stewardship of some of Newport's most important historic properties, including the Colony House, the Great Friends Meeting House, the Brick Market and the oldest house in Newport, the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House; the curation and maintenance of a robust collection of over 500 years' worth of artifacts, documents and photographs; and a menu of public programs, including the Museum of Newport History and other exhibits, tours, publications and immersive learning experiences that bring history to life in the present.

Bertrand is a passionate nonprofit leader and spent seven years at newportFILM, a nonprofit year-round documentary film series. Most recently, she was executive director of the New York Yacht Club Foundation for Historic Preservation, and previously served as director of development at the Newport Art Museum. She is on the board and leadership team of Preserve Rhode Island and supports the Rhode Island Humanities as a committee member and has served a grant panelist for Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

Bertrand has deep roots in the Newport community: She is a graduate of Salve Regina University with a degree in cultural and historic preservation. She is a past recipient of the Young Alumni of the Year Award and continues to support Salve as a proud alumna. Bertrand holds a M.A. from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware with a certificate in museum studies.