Roswell Encina, the former chief communications officer for the Library of Congress, will be the fifth president and CEO of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society beginning next month.
Encina was confirmed by the historical society’s board of trustees and will replace Jane L. Campbell, who will retire in November after seven years at the helm of the nonprofit.
“I want every person to see themselves in the U.S. Capitol, to feel welcomed by its stories, and to recognize their own stake in the work of self-government,” Encina said in a statement. “If we can achieve that sense of collective ownership, we will strengthen the civic fabric that holds our nation together.”
Encina worked for nine years at the Library of Congress under Carla Hayden, who was fired by President Donald Trump in May as part of a larger shakeup at the library that led to legal challenges. Trump also fired Shira Perlmutter, register of copyrights at the Library of Congress. Perlmutter sued the administration and was reinstated to her role by an appeals court last month. On Monday, Trump asked the Supreme Court to allow Perlmutter’s removal.
Encina, who previously worked in journalism and at Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library, left the Library of Congress earlier this year.
Campbell is a former congressional staffer and was the first woman elected mayor of Cleveland.
The U.S. Capitol Historical Society was founded in 1962 and chartered by Congress in 1978. It offers public history events, tours, original plays, and an online repository of historical and civics resources.
“It has been among my life’s great honors to lead the U.S. Capitol Historical Society and its dedicated team of experts and professionals,” Campbell said in a statement. “Our system only works when citizens participate in their government — why the Society spends each day building the civic education tools necessary to foster an informed patriotism.”
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