Brent Leggs was named president and chief executive of the National Trust for Historic Preservation on Monday, succeeding Carol Quillen, who stepped down for family reasons. Leggs, 53, has worked for the organization for more than two decades and becomes the 11th leader since the trust was established by Congress in 1949 to protect historically and culturally significant sites, buildings, and objects across the United States.
Leggs most recently served as executive director of the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, which he founded in 2017. The fund, a grant-making arm of the organization, has raised over $200 million and supported more than 400 projects. These projects include preservation of the Philadelphia gym where boxer Joe Frazier trained and the restoration of the childhood home of civil rights activist and singer Nina Simone in Tryon, North Carolina.
Earlier in his career at the trust, Leggs acted as a strategic adviser to Quillen, a historian and former college president, during a period that included ongoing legal battles involving the organization. The National Trust has been engaged in lawsuits against projects initiated during the Trump administration. These include efforts to block construction of a new ballroom adjacent to the White House, built after demolition of the East Wing, as well as legal challenges to changes at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Leggs described legal advocacy as a last resort but one necessary in some cases, affirming his support for the trust’s positions. “Telling a full American story is not about erasure,” he said, emphasizing a commitment to inclusive historical narratives amid ongoing debates about the interpretation of American history.
A native of Paducah, Kentucky, Leggs holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky, including advanced study in historic preservation. Since joining the National Trust in 2005, he has been part of a broader effort within the field to expand preservation efforts beyond grand architectural landmarks to include sites of social and cultural significance.
The National Trust operates with an annual budget of approximately $54 million and is privately funded. It is well known for its annual list highlighting the nation’s most endangered historic places.
The recent litigation surrounding the White House ballroom illustrates tensions between the trust and the Trump administration. While a federal judge blocked aboveground construction, underground security facilities were allowed to proceed. The Department of Justice criticized the trust in court filings using language mirroring former President Trump’s social media style, at one point referring to the organization as “FAKE” and accusing it of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The department also urged the National Trust to drop its lawsuit, a request the organization declined.
Looking ahead, Leggs indicated his immediate priorities include developing a strategic direction that resonates broadly across the American public, increasing fundraising efforts, and improving workplace culture within the trust’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. Phoebe Tudor, chair of the trust’s board, expressed optimism about Leggs’s leadership, noting widespread enthusiasm for his appointment.