These places each tell a distinct story: Chesterwood in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was once the summer home and studio of American sculptor Daniel Chester French; Kykuit is a 40-room estate originally built for the Rockefeller family in New York’s Hudson Valley; and Cooper-Molera’s two adobe homes, historic corner store, and barn sit in the heart of downtown Monterey, California.
Despite these differences, the new leaders have a similar vision for how to usher their sites into the future. They’re each working to make these historic places, and preservation as a field, more accessible to their visitors. We sat down with Rodriguez, Horsford, and Lee-Garcia to learn more about their plans.
What did your career look like prior to joining the National Trust, and what drew you to join your respective sites?
Miguel Rodriguez: My background has been mostly the performing arts and nonprofits. I started as an opera singer. I [later] had the opportunity to join an opera company as the chief development officer.
In 2018, I launched a representation agency for opera singers, conductors, and stage directors. I did that through the pandemic, and then I moved to the Berkshires. After spending time here in the Berkshires, I got hungry to be part of that landscape. The opportunity at Chesterwood came up, and I took a leap of faith.
