A Letter in Support of Gunston Hall Director David Reese

I find it difficult to understand the purpose of carelessly substantiated and ruthlessly damaging remarks that recently have been issued for public consumption and directed toward Gunston Hall Director David Reese, whom I respect. The recklessness of a few misguided individuals undeservingly has put into harm’s way the professional reputation of Director Reese and the sustainability of the National Historic Landmark that he administers. A local public meeting and lobbying efforts in Richmond have served to generate unfortunate misconceptions among our state officials and denigrate the integrity of Gunston Hall in the eyes of the general public served by it and the lending institutions it is dependent upon in this time of understandably withering state funding. With an overall cumulative reduction of $255,842 in Gunston Hall’s annual state budgets from 2009 to the current fiscal year, Director Reese, an artful fund-raiser, faces increasingly stiff competition for grants from institutions, like The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, whose own coffers of ready monies also are greatly diminished.

Make no mistake. Without interruption, Gunston Hall continues to maintain the hallmark of programming excellence that typifies the site. In the face of reduced funding and staff and under the leadership of Gunston Hall’s Educator, supported by Director Reese and facilitated by members of the Gunston Hall Docents’ Association, a fine cadre of living history interpreters, and additional volunteers, Gunston Hall’s weekday programs for school children visiting the site and programs of outreach into public and private school classrooms in the area continue to flourish as do the weekend programs featured in Gunston Hall’s 2011 Calendar of Events.

I ask what sense it makes to attempt to discredit Director Reese and Gunston Hall. The majority of the site’s extraordinarily responsible staff and volunteers continue to work proudly, even under the cloud of the aspersions of a few who allow their personal disappointments and inability to accept direction interfere with their professionalism, integrity, and decorum.

Signed,

Linda Hartman

Gunston Education Associate (1992 -2009) working directly under Education Coordinator Denise McHugh

Gunston Hall Interpreter (1989 – 1995)

Co-coordinator, Youth Interpreters (1989 – 2010)

Docent Emeritus

Coordinator, Seeds of Independence Programs (2008 – present)