by David J. Kent
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Congratulations are in order to Callie Hawkins for becoming the new CEO and Executive Director of President Lincoln's Cottage. This new position is well deserved after Callie's many years of service.
The Lincoln Group of DC has worked with the Cottage for a long time - and Callie has been there for most of the recent past. She joined the Cottage in early 2009 as an Associate Director of Programs, then served as Director of Programs for many years. She even was Interim Director for a while after the Cottage's first CEO Erin Mast left to join what is now the Lincoln Presidential Foundation. Michael Atwood Mason has been the CEO for the past two years. And now Callie is back in the CEO/Executive Director role permanently, effective August 2023.
For nearly fifteen years, Callie has brought exceptional programs to the Lincoln Cottage. Her most recent exhibit focuses on reflections on grief and child loss. President and Mary Lincoln lost their second son, Willie, in early 1862. Their grief and need to escape both the memories of the White House and unbearably hot summers downtown were impetus for the family relocating to the Cottage for the next three summers. The ongoing and massive death from the Civil War was almost unbearable, and the Cottage brought them some refuge.
Callie has contributed to the Cottage programs in so many ways, including co-hosting their award-winning podcast, Q&Abe; development of the award-winning Students Opposing Slavery, a youth education program dedicated to combating modern slavery; and interactions with many other educational and museum-based organizations around the nation. She has also contributed to numerous publications.
I have had the privilege of participating in several programs with Callie, including most recently a Scholar Sessions program earlier this year to discuss Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. Callie represented President Lincoln's Cottage on a panel I chaired in 2021 for the Cosmos Club on the topic of "Teaching Abraham Lincoln." Now that she is taking over as CEO, I have reached out to Callie about how the Lincoln Group of DC can more fully collaborate with the Cottage on programs. More information on that as it develops.
Join me in congratulating Callie Hawkins for becoming the new CEO and Executive Director of President Lincoln's Cottage. The Cottage is in great hands!