BRISTOL, RI– Shelli Costa recently joined Old Sturbridge Village as the new Executive Director of Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol, RI. Old Sturbridge Village partnered with Coggeshall Farm in 2020 and they share administrative and educational resources as living history museums.
"I'm excited to be a part of the Coggeshall Farm Museum community, with 50 amazing years of history as an organization," says Costa.
Costa began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in the West African country of Cameroon. On her return, she worked for several environmental organizations leading education programs for children and adults about the natural world, including MassAudubon, Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfork, MA, and Nature’s Classroom in Becket, Massachusetts. Most recently, she was the Education Director at the Westport River Watershed Alliance, serving that organization for 18 years.
As the new Executive Director, Costa has a huge job ahead of her in 2023. Her main focus is to keep the educational programs alive and enrich the school trip experience while keeping the farm operating and open to visitors on the weekends. "Shelli comes to us with a clear sense of how important the Farm is to the Bristol community and as an educational resource to the entire state," says Jim Donahue, President, and CEO at Old Sturbridge Village.
Some of her first tasks are to hire staff and volunteers, re-open the museum in April, host a Land Acknowledgment ceremony with the Pokanoket tribe, and bring the farm animals back from their winter homes.
"We will continue to develop the visitor experience and create new opportunities for learning at one of the most picturesque locations in the state," says Costa.
Coggeshall Farm Museum reopens for the 2023 season on April 22 for Saturday tours and self-guided exploration on Sundays—more details at https://www.coggeshallfarm.org/.
