“ Battle of Franklin Trust Announces Newly Appointed CEO”  

Jennifer Esler to End Long and Successful Run with the

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley


Franklin, Tenn. –December 18, 2009-- Battle of Franklin Trust Chairman Marianne Schroer announced todayJennifer Esler, executive director of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) in Winchester, Virginia, will join the Battle of Franklin Trust as CEO effective March 1, 2010.

In making the announcement, Schroer said, “Since the formation of the Battle of Franklin Trust, the board of directors has worked diligently on a national search to fill this pivotal position. While we were impressed with many of the candidates, Jenny stood out as the ideal candidate to lead us in our aggressive efforts to further enhance the visitors experience of the historic Battle of Franklin and the sites related to the Battle .”

Esler’s resignation from MSV is effective February 28 and ends her 12 year career with the museum. Hired in 1997 by the Glass-Glen Burnie Museum, Inc., Esler oversaw development of the private Glen Burnie Historic House and Gardens into a public museum. During the subsequent years, she oversaw its growth from a seasonally-open historic site to a full-time, regional museum complex. The site’s development during this time included the planning, construction, and opening of the $20 million dollar Museum of the Shenandoah Valley , which opened on the historic grounds in 2005. Since that time, the MSV complex has witnessed extraordinary success, and today offers a wide range of educational programs and changing exhibitions, has more than 1,000 members, and attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually.

In her new position as the chief professional officer of The Battle of Franklin Trust, Esler will once again be called upon to exercise her skills and experience with developing museum sites. At the Trust, she will direct the merger and management of Franklin ’s two most significant Civil War sites including Carnton Plantation and the Carter House. Esler will also guide the Trust in the planning, development, and construction of a newly planned Carter House Interpretive Center & Museum related to the Battle of Franklin held November 30, 1864 .

Esler said, “I am excited and pleased to accept this tremendous opportunity in Franklin where there is such enthusiasm for preserving the rich history. The opportunity so perfectly suits my experience, skills, and interests as we work together to create an unforgettable visitor experience in positioning Franklin as a strong leader in battlefield site preservation.”

In the five-hour battle, nearly 10,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing, earning the conflict its description as “the bloodiest hours of the American Civil War.” Nearly 1,500 Confederate soldiers who died in the battle are buried at the nearby Carnton site, making it the country’s largest privately-owned Confederate burial ground.

The Battle of Franklin Trust position not only offers Esler an opportunity to use her experience, talents, and interests in developing a museum site, but will also allow her to end the challenging, long-distance commute of the past year. In November of last year, her husband, Howard Kittell, accepted the position as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson in Nashville . Throughout the past year, the couple has been living separately during the week in order to manage their respective museum responsibilities and have been commuting between Nashville and Winchester on weekends as possible.

According to MSV President of the Board Kit Molden, the Museum is saddened by but supportive and understanding of Esler’s decision. “Jenny has directed this Museum extremely well during the years she has been with us,” he says, “and she deserves immense credit for what the MSV has become today. We hate to see her go, but also understand and support her decision.”

The Battle of Franklin Trust is a 501 (c) (3) management corporation acting on behalf of Franklin ’s battlefield sites to contribute to a greater understanding and enrich the visitor experience of the November 30, 1864 battle. It’s organized for the charitable and educational purposes of preserving, restoring, maintaining and interpreting the properties, artifacts and documents related to the battle so as to preserve an important part of the nation’s history.

To learn more:

web - www.battleoffranklintrust.org
ph. - 615.786.1864
e-mail - info@battleoffranklintrust.org.

 

# # #