The Mary Todd Lincoln House was restored by Kentucky Mansions Preservation Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit which continues to maintain and operate the historic site.

STAFF

Executive Director Gwen Thompson.

Gwen Thompson, Executive Director
director@mtlhouse.org
A seventh-generation Kentuckian, Gwen earned a B.A. in History with a minor in Business from the University of Kentucky and an M.A. in History with a focus in Public History from Murray State University. She has been the Executive Director of KMPF since 2004.  

Assistant Director Kate Hesseldenz.

Kate Hesseldenz, Assistant Director
kate@mtlhouse.org
Kate received her B.A. in Art History from Indiana University and her M.A. in Anthropology with a concentration in Museum Studies from the University of Denver.  She previously worked at Liberty Hall Historic Site and the Kentucky Historical Society prior to starting at MTL House in 2022.

Education Coordinator Vicky Middleswarth.

Vicky Middleswarth, Education Coordinator
education@mtlhouse.org
Vicky earned her B.A. in English from Allegheny College and M.A.s in Folklife and Library Science from Western Kentucky University. She previously worked as a museum educator at The Kentucky Museum, Historic Hudson Valley, and the Kentucky Historical Society. Vicky has worked part-time at the MTL House since 2010.

Store Manager Linda Scott.

Linda Scott, Museum Store Manager & Administrative Assistant
store@mtlhouse.org
Linda earned a B.A. in Spanish from Centre College and has completed additional coursework in secondary education. She has worked as an administrative assistant at the University of Kentucky, in medical office billing and transcription, and as a Spanish teacher. A docent since 2006, Linda became the part-time museum store manager and administrative assistant in 2014.

Part-time Tour Guides

Elizabeth Bowling, Liv Dale, Polly Elam, Phil Maxson, Durbin Tinsley, Sharon Turner, Nathan Walden, and Jacob Wood

BOARD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

Bill Howell, Chair
Mr. Howell graduated from Centre College, where he earned his B.A. in History. Mr. Howell worked for Lexington Cartage Co., and as a Vice President of PNC Bank, before becoming a Trust Officer with Wealth South in 2013. His volunteer activities have included Central Christian Church, Habitat for Humanity, Bible Study Fellowship as well as membership in the Kentucky Civil War Roundtable. Mr. Howell joined the KMPF Board of Directors in 2003.

Tom Eblen, Chair Elect
Lexington native Mr. Eblen retired from the Lexington Herald-Leader in 2019 after 11 years as a columnist and 10 years before that as the managing editor. He previously worked for The Associated Press and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Mr. Eblen’s many awards include a 2013 Governor’s Award in the Arts. He is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame.  He now works part-time for the Carnegie Center and is working on several history-related book projects.

Dee Dee Moran, Immediate Past Chair
A born and raised Kentuckian, Mrs. Moran received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Kentucky and continues to support UK as a Fellow, the founder of the Moran German Fund and an alumni member. Mrs. Moran taught German and Spanish for ten years at Sayre School in Lexington. Mrs. Moran volunteers as a pianist in the “Helping Hands” program, an Alzheimer’s support group, has also volunteered with Faith in Action, Elder Outreach and is actively involved in her church. She joined the board of KMPF in 2009.

Thomas H. Appleton, Jr., Secretary
Dr. Appleton is Foundation Professor of History, Emeritus, at Eastern Kentucky University.  Before joining the EKU faculty, he headed the publications department of the Kentucky Historical Society. The coeditor of six books on Kentucky, southern, and women's history, he is the former board chair of Kentucky Humanities. 

Wade S. Littrell, Treasurer
Mr. Littrell earned his B.A. in Business Administration and Management from the University of Kentucky. Previously an auditor and revenue examiner for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Mr. Littrell was the Chief Financial Officer for the Council of State Governments from 1996 -2021. He is a member of the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a 2008 graduate of the Leadership Lexington program. Mr. Littrell joined the KMPF board in 2016.

Kimberly Clay, Director
Ms. Clay is a longtime resident of Kentucky and is currently the Director of Cultural Heritage Tourism for the Kentucky Department of Tourism. She earned her B.S. in Forestry from Purdue University, but subsequently began a long career with non-profit, community-based organizations, and state government. She has served on numerous professional, non-profit, community and civic boards and organizations including the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the Lincoln States Bicentennial Task Force, and as an advisor to the Kentucky Civil War Sites Association.

Brady W. Dunnigan, Director
Mr. Dunnigan earned his J.D. at Brandies School of Law at the University of Louisville, after receiving his B.A. at the University of Kentucky. He is a partner at Stites & Harbison, where his practice focuses primarily on commercial real estate and finance. Mr. Dunnigan is a graduate of the 2003-2004 Leadership Lexington program and a 2013 graduate of Leadership Kentucky. He currently serves on the board of the Kentucky Association of Children's Advocacy Centers, and previously served by gubernatorial appointment on the Kentucky Applied Behavior Analyst Licensing Board. He joined the KMPF Board in 2016.

Ann Todd Dupree, Director
Mrs. Dupree has been a long-time member of KMPF and was the Recording Secretary for six years. Mrs. Dupree has volunteered with Central Christian Church, the Foundation for Affordable Housing, the Junior League, NOW Kindergarten, and the Transylvania Women’s Club. After earning a Journalism degree from the University of Kentucky, Mrs. Dupree worked in the thoroughbred publishing before her thirty-year career as a realtor.

Dan Graves, Director
A native of Lexington, Mr. Graves is the youngest of nine children. After graduating from Sayre School, he earned a B.A. from Transylvania University and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Kentucky. He has been in the field of commercial general contracting since 1992. He has done volunteer work for Habitat for Humanity, Upward Soccer, and Apostles Anglican Church. He joined the KMPF Advisory Board in 2009, becoming a Voting Director in 2011.

James C. Klotter, Director
Dr. Klotter received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Kentucky and is the author, coauthor, or editor of twenty books. Formerly the Executive Director of the Kentucky Historical Society, Dr. Klotter is a retired professor at Georgetown College and the State Historian of Kentucky. Dr. Klotter has served on numerous boards, including the Kentucky Association of Teachers of History, the Kentucky Council on Archives, the UK Library Associates, the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation Board, and the Ward Hall Preservation Foundation Board. He joined the board of KMPF in 2006.

Erin Lykins, Director
Ms. Lykins is a graduate of Sayre School, studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, and earned her B.F.A. in Drawing and Sculpture from the University of Cincinnati in 2010. She has over 15 years of experience in jewelry design, sales, and merchandising and is the owner of E studio. Erin’s past volunteer experience includes the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation and the Bluegrass Land Conservancy.

Heather Lyons, Director
Ms. Lyons is the Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs in Mayor Gorton’s office where she serves numerous boards and commissions and leads arts and cultural initiatives in Lexington. Previously, she served for over 14 years as Executive Director of the Living Arts & Science Center, and led the organization’s $5.5M historic renovation and expansion. Earlier, Ms. Lyons was an Independent Producer/Director creating award-winning documentary films for public television and teaching media arts as an artist-in-residence in schools and communities across Kentucky.

Melissa A. McEuen, Director
Dr. McEuen is Professor Emerita and Bingham Fellow at Transylvania University, where she taught U.S. history from 1995 until 2023. Her research and publications—including 3 books—focus on American women in the twentieth century. Dr. McEuen is past president of the Kentucky Association of Teachers of History and the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. She currently serves as a historical consultant for several educational programs, including the Kentucky Humanities’ Chautauqua® project and the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) World War II Home Front Sites project. She joined the KMPF board in 2015.

Mary Quinn Ramer, Director
Ms. Ramer is a graduate of Centre College and President of VisitLEX, Lexington’s convention and visitors center. She handles oversight of the visitors center, sales and marketing, and government relations to promote the city and the Bluegrass region. Ms. Ramer joined the VisitLEX staff in 2007 as vice president of tourism marketing, and in 2013, she was promoted to vice president of marketing, expanding her responsibilities to include oversight of marketing efforts for the convention and sales markets.

Gerald L. Smith, Director
Dr. Smith earned his B.A, M.A., and Ph. D degrees from the University of Kentucky in history. He taught at the University of Memphis from 1988-1993. He is a full professor of history and a former holder of both the Theodore A. Hallam Professorship and the Martin Luther King Center Scholar-in Residence at the University of Kentucky. From 1997-2005, he served as the director of the African American Studies and Research Program at UK. He is the former pastor of the Farristown Baptist Church in Berea, Kentucky and now serves as pastor of the Pilgrim Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky.

Darren J. Taylor, Director
Mr. Taylor is Principal at Gibson Taylor Thompson Architecture & Design. He also is an instructor in the Historic Preservation department at the University of Kentucky College of Design. His work mainly focuses on the adaptive reuse of historic structures or contemporary additions to historic structures along with new construction work. Mr. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from UK, a Masters of Architecture degree and a Certificate in Historic Preservation, both from the University of Pennsylvania. He currently serves on the Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission and on several design and preservation-based boards and committees.