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Executive Director & Staff

From the NSCDA's national headquarters in Washington, D.C., our staff provides invaluable support to our members and corporate societies, as well as to the surrounding community. We share a dedication to preservation and a passion for helping visitors connect to the past.

NSCDA Staff

  • Headshot of Carol Cadou, a red-blonde woman in a navy blazer, pearl necklace, and a gold and pearl eagle brooch

    Carol Cadou

    Executive Director

  • Headshot of Cecily Nisbet, a brown haired woman in a black top and a navy, green, and yellow silk scarf

    Cecily Nisbet

    Director of Institutional Advancement

  • Headshot of Edit Laurencin, a curly dark haired woman in a floral top and black shawl

    Edith Laurencin

    Director of Finance and Administration

  • Headshot of Ronaldo Montana, a dark haired man in a navy shirt with a blue and orange lanyard

    Rolando Montana

    Facilities Manager

  • Headshot of Caroline Eisenhuth, a curly brown haired woman in a red top

    Caroline Eisenhuth

    Education and Programs Manager

  • Headshot of Giovanna Baina, a brown haired woman with bangs and glasses wearing a black and white striped turtleneck

    Giovanna Baina

    Executive Assistant

  • Headshot of Emily Knapper, a brown haired woman in glasses and a black and white striped shirt

    Emily Knapper

    Communications and Website Manager

  • Sarah Paul

    Development Assistant

  • August Czeschin

    Great American Treasures Coordinator

  • Trevor Reilly

    Finance Assistant

  • Makenna Graves

    Visitor Services and Events Manager

  • Meika Downey

    Director of Education and Mission Programs

  • Isabella Kiedrowski

    Archives and Collections Manager

Photograph of Carol Cadou, a red haired woman in a black suit and pearl necklace, standing in an ornate room

About the Executive Director

Carol Cadou joined the NSCDA as Executive Director in September 2021. The scope of her Executive Director responsibilities mirrors the breadth of NSCDA initiatives and properties across the country. Before becoming NSCDA's Executive Director, Carol was the Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO of Winterthur after serving at Mount Vernon for 19 years—first as Curator and eventually as Senior Vice President for Historic Preservation and Collections. Prior to Mount Vernon, Carol was the Curator for the Maryland State Art Collection and the Curator of Education and Interpretation at Historic Charleston Foundation.

Carol is a graduate of Wellesley College, the Sotheby’s American Arts Course, and the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, a master’s degree offered in conjunction with the University of Delaware. She received her M.B.A. from Ohio University in 2019 with a concentration in executive management.

Her publications range from The Installation of Historic Architecture at Winterthur Museum to The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon. Carol’s latest book, Stewards of Memory: The Past, Present, and Future of Historic Preservation at George Washington’s Mount Vernon was released by the University of Virginia Press in 2018. She is currently working on a manuscript entitled American Treasures: Historic Places and People 1539-1906, a publication which will present the historic properties curated by the NSCDA.

Carol is a member of the NSCDA-Maryland Society and has served on the Board of The Decorative Arts Trust since 2009. She also holds board and leadership roles in local community organizations. When not reading about or researching American material culture, Carol enjoys all kinds of family adventures with her husband, children, and Newfoundland dog.

Are you passionate about historic preservation?

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