Dr. Elizabeth Chew (Photo credit: Jeni Spencer)
South Carolina Historical Society (SCHS) announced today that noted historian, curator, and educator Dr. Elizabeth Chew, is the organization’s new CEO. Chew took over the position this week. She was identified through a national executive search and succeeds Dr. Faye Jensen, who is retiring after a 17+ year tenure at the Society and who will become CEO Emeritus.
“I’m honored to be selected as the South Carolina Historical Society’s next CEO,” said Chew. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, it is an important moment to remember that South Carolina history is American history.”
Chew will step into the role previously held by Dr. Faye Jensen, the longest sitting head of the organization in its history, who led the Society’s $6.8 million campaign to relocate its archives and renovate the Fireproof Building, a national historic landmark on Meeting Street in historic downtown Charleston. The building reopened as The South Carolina Historical Society Museum in September of 2018, making the Society’s collections more accessible to the public and enhancing public engagement through interactive exhibits and expanded education programs.
“I’m very proud of all that we’ve accomplished collectively,” said Jensen. “Over the past two decades, we have preserved this incredible collection, expanded access to our archives, and engaged with a broader audience in ways that I could not have imagined when I joined the organization in 2006. It has been an honor to lead this organization and this extraordinary team. To our public partners, our generous donors, our dedicated staff, our passionate volunteers, and of course, our audience members, I can only say thank you. I’m thrilled that Dr. Elizabeth Chew is stepping into this role.”
Dr. Elizabeth Chew previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Curator at James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia. During her eight and a half years at Montpelier, Chew led teams of curators, historians, educators, interpreters, public program creators, archaeologists, and historic preservation experts in researching and interpreting James Madison and his family, his essential role in framing the U.S. Constitution and leading the nation, and the community of enslaved people who made Madison’s achievements possible. Chew worked closely with the Montpelier Descendants Committee, the organization that represents and is led by the descendants of those enslaved there, in achieving structural parity in the governance and operation of the site. In 2017, she led development of The Mere Distinction of Colour, an exhibition which offered a new interpretation on slavery through the voices and stories of Descendants and won six national museum awards. This work led to Montpelier hosting a National Summit on Teaching Slavery in 2018, in partnership with the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the publication of “Engaging Descendant Communities,” a nationally recognized rubric for the interpretation of slavery at museums and historic sites.
“Elizabeth brings a wealth of knowledge, vision, and a life-long commitment to historical literacy when she joins us in January,” said Bill Davies, Chairman of the SCHS. “The Board unanimously supported Elizabeth as our next leader. We’re thrilled she will take the helm of the Society and help expand our impact and relationships throughout the state.”
Prior to joining Montpelier, Chew led the curatorial and education division at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, N.C. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Curator at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. During her thirteen-year tenure there, Chew was responsible for ongoing research and interpretation initiatives that wove together the Monticello house, its collections, the Jefferson family, and the enslaved community. Chew has also worked in curatorial positions at The Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Raised in Augusta, Georgia, Chew received a BA in art history from Yale University, an MA from the University of London, and PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill.
The Society partnered with an executive search team from DHR Global’s Nonprofit Practice, led by James Abruzzo and Michele Counter. Chew was selected following an extensive national search.
