Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Elizabeth Willingham is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in leadership and education. Currently serving as a Monticello Guide at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation since 2018, Elizabeth interprets the complex legacies of freedom and slavery. Prior to this role, Elizabeth co-founded Silverchair and held several key positions there, including Director on the Board of Directors, Chief Product Development Officer, and Chief Operations Officer, contributing to the company's growth from September 1993 to August 2022. Earlier in Elizabeth's career, production editing was honed at Little, Brown and Company from 1986 to 1990. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Duke University and completed the Radcliffe Publishing Course at Harvard University.
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Thomas Jefferson Foundation
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation (formerly the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation) owns and operates Monticello, the mountaintop home of Thomas Jefferson and the only home in America on the elite World Heritage List of the United Nations. Incorporated in 1923, after the federal government waived its third opportunity to acquire Monticello for the nation, the Foundation purchased the house and land from the Levy family, stewards of the estate for 89 years. As a private, nonprofit organization, the Foundation receives no regular federal or state budget support for its twofold mission of preservation and education. Since 1923, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation has steadily expanded its role as a museum and educational institution. Its facilities now include the house and gardens on nearly 2,000 of Jefferson's original 5,000 acres; the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies next door at Kenwood, a headquarters for Jeffersonian research and teaching and home to the Jefferson Library; and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, which propagates heirloom varieties and makes them available to institutions and individuals. The David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center and Smith Education Center hosts state-of-the art exhibits for visitors of all ages. It serves as the gateway to Jefferson’s timeless Monticello, preparing guests for their trips to the historic mountaintop through dynamic content presenting fresh perspectives on Monticello and the enduring significance of Jefferson’s life and ideas. About a half a million people visit Monticello each year.