First Lady Chirlane Mccray Announces Confirmation of Meredith Horsford as Executive Director of The Gracie Mansion Conservancy

April 29, 2014

NEW YORK—First Lady Chirlane McCray today announced the confirmation of Meredith Horsford as the new executive director of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy. Horsford has a wealth of experience keeping our city’s historic homes open and accessible for all New Yorkers to enjoy and will work to ensure that Gracie Mansion truly remains the People’s House.

“Gracie Mansion is one of the great historical gems of New York City, and we are delighted that it will also be our family home,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Meredith Horsford has the experience and dedication needed to make sure it continues to be a treasured resource for all New Yorkers.”

“I am honored to serve as the executive director of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy,” said Meredith Horsford. “I have spent my career working to make sure the public can enjoy the historic homes that are a valued part of New York City’s rich cultural fabric. I look forward to working with the Conservancy to guarantee Gracie Mansion isn’t just preserved but enhanced for all New Yorkers to enjoy.”

About Meredith Horsford:
Horsford was most recently the deputy director of the Historic House Trust, serving as the liaison between the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the privately operated nonprofit organizations that administer the historic house museum sites in city parks. She has previously served as the Trust’s Director of Property Stewardship and Acquisitions and the Manager of Historic Sites. Additionally, Horsford is a Peer Reviewer for the 1772 Foundation, conducting site visits and making recommendations to the Board of Trustees on funding projects related to historic preservation and African American history. Horsford formerly served a Data Research Analyst at the Oneida Community Mansion House in Oneida, New York, and a cartographer at the Livingston County Center for Environmental Health in Mt. Morris, New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York College at Geneseo and a Master’s Degree from the University of Delaware. 

About the Gracie Mansion Conservancy:
The Gracie Mansion Conservancy is a private not-for-profit corporation established in 1981 to preserve, maintain and enhance Gracie Mansion – one of the oldest surviving wood structures in Manhattan and a member of the Historic House Trust. The Conservancy’s mission is to raise funds to restore the historic structure and acquire furnishings that illustrate the rich history of New York; improve the surrounding landscape and gardens; and provide educational services, including publications and tours.