NEWS & NOTES
NEW LEADERSHIP FOR MONTICELLO BOARD
Dengel has been active in digital media for more than 25 years, starting with AOL in 1996. He holds degrees in finance and in systems engineering, both from the University of Pennsylvania. Dengel lives in Charlottesville with his wife and four children. Hardie is co-chair of H7 Holdings LLC, a private family investment company that owns and manages Keswick Hall and Golf Club in Keswick, Virginia, and the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. She is an alumna of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia Medical School. She lives with her husband and five sons in Keswick. Monticello also welcomed two new trustees: real estate developer and investor Don King of Charlottesville (who previously served as chair of the foundation’s board from 2013 to 2019) and architect Peter Cook of Washington, D.C.
Technology entrepreneur and innovator Tobias Dengel has been elected chair of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Board of Trustees. He is the co-founder of Charlottesville, Virginia-based WillowTree, a leading digital product agency that has grown to more than 1,100 employees and was recently acquired by TELUS International. Hospitality entrepreneur Molly Hardie will serve as vice chair. “Monticello is fortunate to have the guidance of Tobias Dengel and Molly Hardie, as well as two outstanding new trustees,” said Leslie Greene Bowman, president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. “As the Foundation celebrates its first century, we continue the tradition of strong and visionary board leadership as we plan for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States and strengthen our dedication to an honest, inclusive approach to history.”
Tobias Dengel
Molly Hardie
Don King
Peter Cook
Taking a Byte Out of History
New podcasts are coming online, joining the Mountaintop History series hosted by public historians Olivia Brown and Kyle Chattleton. Earlier this year, Monticello launched A Rich Spot of Earth , a monthly podcast about Thomas Jefferson, gardening and the natural world. In the inaugural episode, Monticello’s gardeners and groundskeepers delved into the topic of seeds — one of the most elemental building blocks of the garden — and seed saving, while sharing stories, tips and techniques from Jefferson’s time and our own. Also in the works is a podcast series about the 100-year history of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, scheduled to debut this spring.
From podcasts to videos and livestreams, Monticello offers an extensive multimedia library that helps bring history to life. A recently completed digital studio featuring enhanced equipment and green screen capabilities provides a place where content creators can tell even more stories.
To enjoy the full collection of livestreams, videos and podcasts, visit monticello.org/digital .
From left to right: In the new digital studio, Jason Young, Peggy Cornett, Deborah Donley and Michael Tricomi discuss their experiences caring for Monticello’s gardens and grounds.
The digital studio was made possible with support from an anonymous donor, The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation and Acentech Incorporated.
8 SPRING / SUMMER 2023
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