Colonial Williamsburg Foundation names new president and CEO

Published June 17, 2014 by Robert Powell, III

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has named Mitchell B. Reiss president and CEO, effective Oct. 6.

Reiss will succeed Colin G. Campbell, who headed the foundation for 14 years.

For the past four years, Reiss has been president of  Washington College, a liberal arts college in Chestertown, Md.

“Colonial Williamsburg has long been an institution committed to keeping alive the conversation about America's founding principles,” Reiss said in a statement. “This conversation is as relevant today as it was at our country's origin, and increasingly important to individuals around the world seeking their own pathways to freedom and human dignity.”

He previously held positions at the College of William & Mary, where he increased funding to support academic positions, expanded international programs and exchanges, and taught in the school of law.

Reiss also has been an international negotiator, a national security expert and a consultant to governments, corporations and philanthropic foundations.

“In Mitchell Reiss we have found the ideal candidate who has a range of experience in the public and private sectors,” Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman of the board, said in a statement. “Colonial Williamsburg will benefit from his understanding of the intersection of education and preservation in a contemporary world.”