Trenton, NJ – The Crossroads of the American Revolution Association announced today that former New Jersey state tourism director Noreen Bodman has joined the organization as executive director.
Ms. Bodman has been involved with preservation and conservation issues through her work in tourism and the Jersey Shore Partnership. Her tenure in Atlantic City included branding, marketing, partnership programs and community outreach. She has been involved in strategic planning and fundraising in the public and private sectors, including higher education and non-profits.
“Noreen’s experience with hospitality, our historic organizations, cultural resources and elected officials is critical as we implement our new management plan to promote greater awareness, enjoyment and preservation of New Jersey’s Revolutionary War legacy" said Kevin Tremble, president President of the Association. "Her track record of development and collaborative partnerships will enable us to tell the story of New Jersey’s crucial role to our nation.” In 2006 the Association which was designated by Congress to manage the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area.
Ms. Bodman’s appointment was the result of a national search launched after the retirement of Cate Litvack, who led the organization for more than six years. “Cate was instrumental in launching the National Heritage Area and developing its new management plan. I look forward to building upon that solid foundation by engaging our partners, our citizens and our visitors in celebrating and taking pride in the history that has made New Jersey a great place to live, to work, to learn and to visit” said Noreen Bodman.
New Jersey played a crucial role in the American Revolution, including key turning points in the war, the largest land artillery battle, and as a strategic base. Positioned between the new nation’s capital in Philadelphia and the British stronghold in New York, no place in New Jersey was spared the ravages of war. During six years of war, General George Washington and the Continental Army spent more days in New Jersey than in any other state. By the time victory was won, the fight for American independence touched every community in New Jersey. Residents felt the brunt of the conflict in their daily lives as well as on the battlefield. More than just a crossroads on the map, New Jersey became the crossroads in the birth of a nation.
In 2006, Congress and the President of the United States recognized New Jersey’s pivotal role in the founding of our nation by establishing the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, comprising 213 cities and towns in 14 counties. The mission of the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area is to foster the conservation, improvement and interpretation of New Jersey’s Revolutionary War natural and historic resources to enhance public understanding about how the people, places and events in New Jersey transformed the course of American history.
A management plan to guide National Heritage Area activities over the next several years was recently approved by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
“The National Park Service welcomes Noreen to the National Heritage Area team. We look forward to working with her in our continued partnership to tell the Crossroads of the American Revolution story, which is as important today as it was at the founding of our nation,” said Jill Hawk, superintendent of the Morristown and Thomas Edison National Historical Parks.
The Crossroads of the American Revolution also announces that Michael Skelly and Nicholas Ciotola have joined the board of trustees.
Mike Skelly is Executive Director of Bordentown Heritage, a non-profit organization celebrating Bordentown’s pivotal role in American arts, history, and natural heritage. He is also Chairman of Hydro Blue Power, developer of community hydroelectricity power utility projects and clean-tech ventures. Dr. Skelly is a retired attorney and has earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Seton Hall University Law School and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Rutgers University.
Nick Ciotola is curator of the cultural history collection, the branch of the multi-disciplinary New Jersey State Museum that addresses New Jersey’s cultural, social, military, economic, and industrial history, as well as its decorative arts traditions, from the colonial period to the present day. Mr. Ciotola has more than fifteen years of experience in the museum profession, having worked in museums including the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, and the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. He has received fellowships from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums for his work in public history and institutional exhibition awards from the American Association for State and Local History and Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations.
Visit wj.org for more information on New Jersey’s role in American history and asww.revolutionaryn the Crossroads of the American Revolution.
