SWAMPSCOTT — Angela Ippolito has been elected as the next president of the Board of Trustees of the Essex National Heritage Commission.
The commission is a nonprofit organization that works to manage, preserve and promote heritage resources in Essex County.
“We seek to highlight the cultural, educational, historical aspects of our communities that are worth preserving and enhancing, so that they can be enjoyed by the public,” Ippolito said.
The commission receives federal funding to assist with its initiatives, and the Board of Trustees governs over its funding.
Ippolito first joined the commission a decade ago as a commissioner, before joining the Board of Trustees in 2021. She described her newest leadership role as a natural progression. The role of president includes leading meetings and interacting with guests who may be present.
“One of my interests is looking at ways that we can improve our fundraising,” Ippolito said.
She used the Baker’s Island Light Station as an example of a project that is in need of more financial support.
Ippolito has more than two decades of experience volunteering for boards in Swampscott. She spent 13 years on the Historical Commission, and remains a member of the Planning Board, where she spent 11 of her 15 years served so far as chair. She believes her experience with those groups translates well with her new duties for the commission.
“A lot of the activities that we pursued were issues, events and needs that obviously aligned with some of the expertise and the people that could help through Essex National Heritage,” Ippolito said.
She added that Essex Heritage has provided her a way to network with individuals and organizations that assist with her duties as a town official. She expressed gratitude to Essex Heritage’s CEO Annie Harris and former board president David Reed for their contributions to making the commission what it is today.
“Dave (Reed) gave us such a tremendous, big personality, and is just such an outgoing, intelligent, warm, giving person,” Ippolito said.
Ippolito is looking forward to upcoming events Essex Heritage is involved in, such as the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War.
“There were so many sites in Essex County that were pivotal in the Revolutionary War,” Ippolito said. “We’re very involved in that locally and with all the different communities that have events, sites and personalities to promote.”
