Contributed by: Preservation Greensboro
Dated Posted: February 15, 2026
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Dear Members and Supporters of Preservation Greensboro, Inc.,

We are excited to share wonderful news about the future of Preservation Greensboro.

After a comprehensive and thoughtful search, the Board of Directors has unanimously selected Ashley Rust as our new Executive Director. We are delighted to welcome Ashley into this role and into the Preservation Greensboro community.

Ashley brings more than a decade of experience in historic site management, cultural resource management, fundraising, public history, and nonprofit leadership. Most recently, she served as Park Manager at Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site in South Carolina, where she led day to day operations, financial management, staff supervision, preservation projects, educational programming, and community partnerships. At Redcliffe, Ashley worked extensively with a Historic Structure Report to document, analyze, and plan for the preservation of the plantation’s historic buildings. She helped secure significant funding to support this work, including $750,000 in grants that contributed to both major structural repairs and the rebuilding of a historic building damaged in a storm. This direct, hands-on experience with capital preservation projects closely aligns with the current and future preservation needs of Blandwood, which is guided by its own multi million dollar Historic Structure Report.

Ashley is originally from Danville, Virginia and grew up near Greensboro. She is excited to return to this region and deepen her work with historic homes, neighborhoods, and community based preservation efforts. She brings a strong vision for the future of Preservation Greensboro, with thoughtful ideas to grow and strengthen all areas of our work, including Blandwood Museum, Architectural Salvage of Greensboro, and the Blandwood Carriage House, while honoring the integrity of the places and stories entrusted to our care. Her personal connection to this area, combined with her professional background, makes her a strong and natural fit for this role.

This appointment marks an important new chapter for Preservation Greensboro. Under Ashley’s leadership, we look ahead with confidence to continued organizational growth, strengthened partnerships, expanded educational programming, and renewed momentum in preservation advocacy and stewardship. The Board is enthusiastic about the collaborative, forward looking leadership she brings to this next phase of our work.

We are especially excited to welcome Ashley as we head into one of the most important moments of our year, the Tour of Historic Homes and Gardens on May16th and 17th. This beloved event brings our mission to life for community members and provides essential support for our preservation, education, and advocacy work throughout the year.

We are deeply grateful for the continued support of our members and sponsors. Truly, this work does not happen without you, and we feel incredibly lucky to have such a committed community walking alongside us into this next chapter.

We look forward to introducing Ashley more fully in the coming weeks and sharing opportunities to connect with her as she begins her role in March.

With appreciation,

The Preservation Greensboro Board of Directors

Jeffrey B. Parsons, Christina Pennant, Kerry Spears, Susan Moye, Ginny Olson, Taylor Butler, Jody Clayton, Sarah Ferrell, Stefan-Leih Geary, Hugh Gregson, Lori Ann Harris, Hugh Holston, Brandon Jones, Ashley Meredith, Tommy Schenk, Anna Scott Pulliam, and Eric Woodard

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