Douglas E. Hempstead, Vice Chairman of the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, has been elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees, succeeding longtime LMMM Chairman Patsy R. Brescia, who served for over a decade and led the museum during a period of remarkable growth.
Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Brescia led the fundraising efforts and implementation of several major construction upgrades to the building, including: the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of Economic and Community Development ADA improvements; a new basement stair egress; the installation of the long-awaited elevator; and most recently, Phase III of the Museum’s 2008 Master Plan for critical upgrades to its electrical, I.T., heating, and fire prevention systems supported by the City of Norwalk and the State of Connecticut, which is slated to begin in 2023.
Mr. Hempstead, who has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2003, is V.P. of Property Development at Stew Leonard’s where he has worked since 1981. Hempstead was a Norwalk Common Council member from 1985 to 1995 and from 2003 to 2019, and served as Council President five times. Mr. Hempstead served as Treasurer and Vice Chairman for the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum and has been a Board Member of the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce since 1996. Hempstead received his MBA from Sacred Heart University in 2003.
Nominating Committee Chair Gail Candlin said: “Mr. Hempstead is a widely respected business and community leader with decades of experience and I’m confident he will enhance the Museum’s standing and help us build a sustainable future as he moves forward. The Board of Trustees and I are truly grateful for his strong and unwavering commitment to this cherished National Historic Landmark.”
The Museum’s 2022 cultural and educational programs are made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown; LMMM’s Leadership Patrons: The Sealark Foundation; and LMMM’s 2022 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation.
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. For more information on tour schedules, exhibitions, and programs, please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, email info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.
