The Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame in Newport, names new Executive Director

July 10, 2023

The Board of Directors of The Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame have announced that Ashley Householder has been appointed executive director.

Householder has been part of the National Sailing Hall of Fame and The Sailing Museum family for over two years already, working previously as both consulting curator and director of exhibits and programs. Now, she will take over the duties of executive director, which will include guiding all aspects of the Museum’s exhibit program and oversight of all curatorial and collections policies.

Householder brings extensive experience with exhibit direction to The Sailing Museum, having worked in collections and curation at the White House and the Smithsonian Institution. Most recently, Householder served as curator of exhibitions at the Preservation Society of Newport County, establishing its exhibition program as the first person in the role.

“The Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame is at the nexus of incredible stories of sportsmanship, innovative technological advancements and life skills,” said Householder. “I’m thrilled to start this new chapter focused on fresh outreach, educational programming and inclusion of a new class of inductees with important stories to tell. The sailing community has a tremendous amount to offer people of all ages and backgrounds. As a curator and educator, I can’t think of a better place to strengthen our roots and reach more people with all we have to offer.”

“Ashley has already proven herself invaluable to the National Sailing Hall of Fame and The Sailing Museum,” said Board of Directors co-chair Tom Whidden. “It’s been great working with her so far, and we’re excited to keep doing so. As we look to what’s next for us and our continued growth, Ashley is well-positioned to lead us going forward.”

“We look forward to working closely with Ashley for many years to come,” said Board of Directors co-chair Gary Jobson. “She has a broad range of experience in museums and exhibits which will be beneficial to The Sailing Museum.”

For more information on The Sailing Museum please visit www.thesailingmuseum.org. To learn more about the National Sailing Hall of Fame, please visit www.nshof.org.