The Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area, the Certified Heritage Area of Anne Arundel County, announced Friday that Dr. Carol Benson will step down as Executive Director of the organization at the end of the year.
Benson, who has been Executive Director of the nonprofit since 2008, says she will remain at the helm of the heritage area until December 2024 to help with the transition as the Board begins a search for their next leader.
“Throughout my time at the heritage area, from its early days as the Annapolis, London Town & South County Heritage Area through a steady evolution that has included increased funding, a county-wide boundary expansion, new branding and interpretation, and a new identity as the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area, I have enjoyed a remarkable partnership with the hard-working Board of Directors. It’s time for me to step down to allow a new leader with new vision to take the organization to the next level. I will dearly miss the Board and the many other colleagues I have worked with over the years, while treasuring a sense of pride that comes with the completion of 17 years of projects and initiatives that reflect the Maryland Heritage Area Program’s goals of Heritage Product Development, Building Partnerships, and Sustaining Regional Identity. I am especially proud of the establishment of the collaborative Annual Maryland Day Celebration that is now planning for its eighteenth year, having expanded to 40 locations around the county; and the carefully-curated Story Project that has grown to 14 powerful videos of heritage area leaders and stakeholders sharing remarkable stories of achievement in their own words.”
Tim Leahy, Chair of the heritage area’s Board of Directors, praised Benson’s tenure, saying, “Carol will be leaving with a remarkable legacy and a long list of accomplishments, from grant dollars invested and leveraged, heritage tourism programs and projects nurtured and supported, new partnerships and collaborations forged, ground-breaking committee initiatives, and a remarkable communications portfolio. We will miss her tremendously, but are excited for her to begin a new chapter in a long and varied career.”
Leahy stated that the details of the Search for the new Executive Director are being finalized, and a formal description of the qualifications for the position will be announced shortly on the organization’s website, chesapeakecrossroads.org.