07 Jan Introducing HBI’s Interim Executive Director Stacy Thompson
In December Stacy Thompson joined Historic Boston as our Interim Executive Director. She’ll be with HBI for the next several months while we embark on hiring a permanent Executive Director.
Stacy has been working with non-profits in Boston for more than 15 years. A relentless optimist, Stacy is undaunted by the many challenges facing Metro Boston today. Most recently Stacy served as the Executive Director of LivableStreets Alliance, where she guided the organization through a rapid expansion; launched new program areas and effectively advanced dozens of projects and policies at the Federal, State, and local levels.
Prior to LivableStreets, Stacy was the Director of Events & Sponsorship at Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization, where she developed the strategic focus, content, and communications for major events. She also worked for the Office for Peace and Justice at the Archdiocese of Chicago where she collaborated with community partners to organize educational forums and supported a broad array of social justice initiatives.
Get to know Stacy a bit better with a brief Q & A here:
Tell us about yourself, Where did you grow up and how did you land in Boston?
I grew up in Minnesota and learned to appreciate history and historic preservation at an early age. Some of my earliest memories were visiting a museum celebrating the Milacs Band of Ojibwe with my grandmother (this is still one of my favorites places!) and visiting some of the historic homes on Summit Ave in St. Paul during the holidays.
I left Minnesota for college and landed at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and then headed to Chicago for my graduate degree. I had friends in Boston, so shortly after graduating I moved to Boston for what I thought would be a year or two…and I never left!
How did you get started in the nonprofit sector?
My graduate program actually had a focus on nonprofit management, so I knew at an early age that I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector. Throughout my career I’ve focused on working with organizations making an impact in peoples lives. This means I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide range of issues including climate change, transportation, and now historic preservation.
Have you worked in the historic preservation realm before? What interested you about HBI?
I haven’t worked in historic preservation directly, but my work at LivableStreets often intersected with historic preservation projects. For example, at LivableStreets we worked closely with historic preservation advocates and partners on the Northern Avenue bridge project. I hope that when that project is completed it is a pedestrian friendly bridge that also respects the historic legacy of the bridge.
What is your favorite place/thing to do in Boston?
This is a tough one! When friends and family visit, I usually encourage them to walk from the top of the Common, through the Public Garden and down the full length of the Commonwealth Mall. It’s a great walk, especially during the holiday months in the winter. I also personally spend quite a bit of time in Franklin Park, which has a ton of historic hidden gems.
What excites you most about stepping into the role of Interim Executive Director at Historic Boston?
The team and the work! Historic Boston is in the midst of a lot of great projects right now – it’s been a pleasure to jump in and work side by side with the team to continue to advance them. I’ve been a fan of Historic Boston for several years, so I’m also looking forward to getting into the weeds of some of our projects and learning more about Historic Boston’s approach to preservation as well.
