PORT TOWNSEND, WA– Nationally recognized public historian Susan Ferentinos, PhD, has been appointed to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History Board. Ferentinos will travel to Washington, D.C., at the end of this month to attend her first in-person board meeting on February 26 and 27, 2026.

The National Museum of American History Board advises the museum’s director and her leadership team on programs, exhibitions, facilities, development, finance, and other strategic initiatives. With this appointment, Ferentinos joins historians, business leaders, and philanthropists from around the country dedicated to ensuring the museum continues to preserve and share the American story with millions of visitors each year. She is the only board member based in the Pacific Northwest.

Ferentinos operates her own national consulting business based in Port Townsend, Washington, helping museums, historic sites, and government agencies expand and diversify the stories they tell about the American past. Her work focuses on interpreting LGBTQ+ history and women’s history, bringing overlooked narratives into mainstream historical interpretation. Her clients have included the National Park Service, the American Association for State and Local History, the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and numerous museums and historic sites across the country.

Among her many accomplishments, Ferentinos has been recognized for her work by the LGBTQ+ History Association, which awarded the Maryland LGBTQ+ History Initiative, on which Ferentinos served as lead researcher, its 2024 Allan Bérubé Prize for outstanding work in community history. Ferentinos is also the author of Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites, which won the 2016 Book Award from the National Council on Public History and has been commissioned for a second edition.

“I am deeply honored to have been approached by the Smithsonian to serve on this board,” said Ferentinos. “The National Museum of American History plays a vital role in helping all Americans understand our shared past, and I’m excited to contribute to that mission during such a pivotal moment in our nation’s history.”

Ferentinos noted that her appointment comes at a time when history museums are in the national spotlight. “We’re approaching the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, which presents an extraordinary opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going as a country,” she said. In addition to her advisory work with the Smithsonian, Ferentinos is also a founding member of the History, Archives, and Records Preservation Project (HARPP), a rapid-response initiative coordinated by the Organization of American Historians to protect the integrity of historical records and interpretation in the public interest. HARPP brings together historians, archivists, and advocates to monitor and counter efforts to erase, distort, or limit access to America’s historical record.

“This is a moment when historians must stand up for accuracy, complexity, and the full breadth of the American story,” Ferentinos added. “I look forward to working with my fellow board members to ensure the National Museum of American History continues to fulfill its mission of serving all Americans with the highest standards of scholarship and integrity.”