Sep 10, 2024
Constance Kehoe to Speak at the 250th Commemoration Summit
Join us Wednesday morning at the 250 Commemoration Summit to hear Constance Kehoe, NY State 250th Commemoration Commissioner at Revolutionary Westchester 250.
The case study focus of this presentation is a upcoming exhibit at The Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in Tarrytown, New York, Treason of the Blackest Dye: The True Story of Arnold, André, and Three Honest Militiamen, opening on September 25 and running through December 11, 2024. The free ticketed exhibit highlights one of the most remarkable chapters in the Revolutionary War, filled with intrigue, betrayal and chance circumstances that, had events unfolded differently, might have led to America’s defeat. Curated by Revolutionary Westchester 250 and produced in coordination with The Pocantico Center in Tarrytown the exhibit brings to life Benedict Arnold’s treasonous plans and the remarkable capture of the British Spy, Major André. Brought together for the first time are rarely seen one-of-a-kind original documents and artifacts, as well as additional facsimiles, and -from the popular AMC television series Turn: Washington’s Spies - costumes and scripts.
Why You Should Attend This Session:
- Learn how the dual goals of the 250th - education and tourism - can be successfully married by building partnerships
- Learn how a 250th N.F.P volunteer organization (RW250) collatorates with a local DMO (Westchester Tourism & Film) and with government, educational institutions, historic and cultural sites, libraries, reenactor groups and private business to increase heritage tourism for the long term
- Learn how and why an established visitor destination (The Pocanitco Center Of The Rockefeller Brothers Fund) can be an ideal venue for a compelling 250th history exhibit
Key Takeaways:
- Combine pop culture with educational content to create a compelling visitor experience
- Use mobile audio tours as one tool to layer in multi-year regional 250th visitations and enhance historic awareness
- Strategize and prepare to meet the educational needs of teachers & students with those of general visitors
About the Constance Kehoe:
Constance M. Kehoe majored in history at Vassar College and received a master’s from Wesleyan University. She taught social studies and special education then started and ran an educational sales and consulting business, Literacy Warehouse, for 20 years. In 2009 she was elected Village Trustee in Irvington, where she still resides, and served as Trustee of the Village for 12 years, with 8 as Deputy Mayor. In 2018 she became the president and a director of Revolutionary Westchester 250, a not-for-profit corporation. In this volunteer work she has been named the special liaison to Westchester County by County Executive Latimer and appointed by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission. In 2017 she was recognized by the Irvington Historical Society and in 2022 and 2023 by Westchester County Senior Hall of Fame, the Sons of the American Revolution, and at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site.
Constance Kehoe
NY State 250th Commemoration Commissioner
E: 1776RW250@gmail.com
P: 914-261-8479
About Revolutionary Westchester 250
The mission of Revolutionary Westchester 250 is to build awareness and excitement for the events, places, ideas, and people — both the unsung and the famous — of the Revolutionary War period in Westchester County, in connection with the 250th Commemoration of the founding of the United States. RW250 provides support for and directly applies funds to coordinate and execute local programming focused on raising awareness about the role of Westchester County in the Revolutionary War.
In July 2016 the Congress of the United States passed and President Obama signed Public Law 114-196, the "United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016." This law’s purpose was to:
Establish a Commission to provide for the observance and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and related events through local, state, national, and international activities planned, encouraged, developed, and coordinated by a national commission representative of appropriate public and private authorities and organizations.
RW250 is a public charity described in Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and is registered with the Charities Bureau of the New York State Office of the Attorney General under Article 7-A of the New York Executive Law. RW250’s IRS determination letter, application for tax-exempt status, registration and supporting documents are open to public inspection, and RW250’s latest annual report and Form 990 may be obtained, upon request, from RW250 (19 Jaffray Park, Irvington, NY 10533-1709) or from the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau (28 Liberty Street, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10005). Donations to RW250 are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.