HOLLYWOOD, Md. – 2025 is a significant year to change for Historic Sotterley. Gwendoline Bankins, former Vice President of the Board of Trustees, has stepped forward to lead the organization as President. Ms. Bankins will be the first person in the State of Maryland who was descended from those enslaved at a historic site to step into this leadership role. This year we also announce the retirement of our Executive Director, Nancy Easterling, after two decades of dedicated service and exemplary leadership.
Gwendoline first came on the site at the age of 10 at the request of her cousin, Agnes Kane Callum, the first person whose ancestors were enslaved at Historic Sotterley to serve on its Board of Trustees. The course of her journey with her own history and with Sotterley lead her to join the Board of Trustee in 2019, serving as the Chair of its Preservation, Restoration, and Interpretation Committee, and the Chair of its descendant-lead Day of Unity and Healing. Her unwavering dedication to transparently telling all aspects of our shared history is matched only by her incredible heart and her strong desire to foster connections and healing in our community.
Nancy joined Historic Sotterley’s staff in July 2005 and became the Executive Director in February 2009. Her leadership has significantly transformed our organization. Notably, during her tenure, Sotterley successfully launched two impactful programs: the Descendants’ Project in 2017 and the Common Ground initiative in 2018, which brought together descendants of plantation owners, those who were enslaved at Sotterley, and post emancipation laborers to foster discussions about our shared history and its legacy and avenues for understanding and healing within the local community. Nancy also helped to secure critical grants to preserve the site’s structures and landscapes, and to better tell its stories. Additionally, Nancy advocated for bringing Sotterley’s farm back to life in a sustainable and environmentally conscious way which has been an incredible teaching tool and a support for the community.
According to Nancy, “Education is integral to all endeavors at Historic Sotterley, and I have cherished the opportunity to contribute to the learning opportunities and experiences of the many students and visitors of all ages who have visited the site. I am deeply grateful for my time here and am particularly honored to witness the appointment of our new President of the Board, Ms. Gwendoline Bankins, who is the first descendant of the enslaved to step into this leadership role. This is a truly significant moment in time for Historic Sotterley, and what a privilege it has been to be here when it happened. I am certain great things will happen under Gwen’s tenure, and I will steadfastly remain her biggest champion now and in the future.”
The Board of Trustees is conducting a thorough review of the organization’s structure and has formed a search committee to identify Nancy’s permanent successor. Demonstrating her unwavering commitment, Nancy will continue working with Ms. Bankins and the rest of the Sotterley Board role to facilitate a smooth leadership transition.