The Board of Directors of the Chester County Historical Society and Elizabeth Laurent have jointly announced her departure as president of the nonprofit, effective July 1.

“It is hard to believe that three years have passed so quickly,” said Jim Sargent, Board Chair. “In her tenure, Elizabeth has continued in the tradition of great leadership of the organization. We will miss Elizabeth and her inspiring leadership, as both she and CCHS prepare to enter fulfilling new eras. We are very grateful for her service and understand Elizabeth’s desire to complete this chapter – well executed – and seek new opportunities.”

Laurent’s accomplishments, cited by the Board, include:

• right-sizing the annual National History Day, transforming it from a first-level contest to a competitive regional contest, thereby breaking CCHS records for our student competitors moving to the state and national contests
• expanding partnerships with West Chester University teachers and students in departments of education, history, and marketing
• re-envisioning the annual Antiques and Art Show, one of CCHS’s major fundraising events, by moving to a new venue and identifying ways to manage costs while presenting a magnificent community event
• directing the highly successful 125th Anniversary Gala with 200-plus guests and exceeding the fundraising goal
• improving institutional financial strategies, focused on new procedures following best practices for nonprofit financial reporting and accounting
• leading the plan for CCHS to migrate its technology operations from hardware-based into “the cloud”

“After three years with CCHS,” said Laurent, “the Board and I recently began to plan the Society’s transition to new leadership. I am proud of what we achieved, and deeply grateful to all who have supported CCHS and me personally: staff, board, volunteers, members, and the amazing Chester County community.”

“The Board is dedicated to guiding and supporting our accomplished staff through this transition,” Sargent said. “We will promptly establish a search committee to design the plan for interim leadership and a permanent successor. We will seek the best individual to lead the Society into its next era as Chester County’s preeminent historical organization.

“We thank Elizabeth for the skill, dedication, and passion she has brought to CCHS. She will be greatly missed by the staff, board, members, and partners alike. We look forward to following the continued success of her career.”

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