Warren County Historical Society Announces Leadership Transition; Carol Ann Conover Named Incoming Executive Director as Teri Rogers Retires
Transition comes as WCHS celebrates 30 years since its charter and 10 years in its historic home
The
Warren County Historical Society (WCHS) has announced a leadership transition: Executive Director Teri Rogers will retire in October and Carol Ann Conover, founder of CA Strategies Consulting, will step into the role of Executive Director after a brief transition period. The change comes just ahead of a milestone year for WCHS, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its charter and 10 years in its historic building in 2027.
“As President of WCHS, I welcome Carol Ann Conover as our new Executive Director, stepping in as Teri retires after 10 years of faithful service. We are sad to see Teri go, but Carol Ann is a familiar face to us – she has been supporting
Teri and WCHS in the background as our marketing and strategy consultant for the last year, and we’ve seen tremendous growth in our membership outreach and fundraising. Carol Ann brings a writing and business background, fundraising and social media knowledge and a large network of community connections and we are delighted to have her join our mission,” said Dr. Stan Cianfarano, WCHS President.
Rogers, a Glens Falls native, longtime local historian, and author of a number of books on regional history, has led WCHS for the last decade — developing the Society's museum and displays, its programs and research capabilities, history publishing, community history, historic advocacy, and a student internship program. “Carol Ann is a proven business and non-profit leader who knows our organization well,” said Rogers. “I am confident about leaving my beloved WCHS in her excellent and very capable hands.”
Conover's connection to WCHS began several years ago, when she volunteered as a writer on the Inspiring Women of Glens Falls book project, an educational book on historically significant local women written for middle school students in the area and set for release this November. WCHS was serving as the fiscal gateway for the project's donations at the time and needed a better way to manage that role; Conover stepped in to help facilitate the strategy, then recommended the Society adopt the same approach as a standard practice across all of its fundraising. The officers embraced the recommendation and have been pleased with the results ever since.
That relationship deepened over the past year, as Conover took on a formal consulting role with WCHS, working closely with Teri Rogers and the board on fundraising strategy, event planning, and community outreach. That earned trust has made her move into the Executive Director role a natural fit.
“I am pleased that I will be surrounded by such a supportive group of people who demonstrate a deep commitment to the mission,” said Conover. “It’s a genuine, true support system — and that kind of shared purpose is a rare gift and exactly the foundation this next chapter needs.”
“I am no stranger to fundraising and motivating support,” Conover added, pointing to a track record that spans nonprofit boards and sponsorship campaigns for nearly a decade.
Before founding CA Strategies Consulting, Conover spent five years as Director of Events & Community Engagement for a local membership organization, where she produced more than 50 annual events, founded a veterans group, grew a women's council that doubled member engagement, curated and managed a leadership curriculum with multi-industry tours, and exceeded an annual sponsorship goal by 100 percent in 2024. She went on to build CA Strategies Consulting as a return to her roots as a writer and a support system for organizations doing mission-driven work, following more than two decades in print journalism and broadcast; Conover also published her first book, Condition: Human in 2025 and is currently a regular contributor to the Glens Falls and Saratoga Business Journals and author of The Impact Brief, an online column of nonprofit and small business intel on Substack. She is serving in community leadership roles as both Vice Chair of the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC), where she is slated to become Chair in 2027, Trustee of the Crandall Public Library, and advisory council member for Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL).
“I have a long history of service to this community, and stepping into this role is a continuation of that,” Conover said. “It also allows me to keep doing what I love — consulting with mission-driven organizations — while advancing the work of WCHS directly. Between my time as a hospitality professional and in my mission-based work, I have built quality relationships in the community that transcend the workplace and have led to meaningful progress. Having an attitude of service has been a winning formula that has delivered again with this opportunity.”
Much of that formula is already visible in WCHS's recent momentum. Work that began during Conover's consulting engagement — reaching a younger demographic and connecting with students around workforce development and access to historical resources — has continued to build traction, contributing to stronger fundraising results and rising interest among area school and college students. This year alone has brought a larger influx of interns and volunteer staff than any previous year.
“Teri Rogers has been a dynamic leader of this organization. Her leadership has fostered many new relationships and literally changed the face of this Society. We all wish her well in her ‘retirement,’ and we are grateful that she still wishes to remain a viable part of this organization as we move forward. The changing economic times require a non-profit organization such as ours to take a more strategic approach to the financial requirements necessary to sustain and grow our mission. Carol Ann’s experience in dealing with those requirements is honestly needed at this time. I am sure I join with the members in pledging to implement any advances she continues to make in our future fundraising plans,” said John Berry, WCHS Treasurer.
“Carrying on the legacy of what Teri has so lovingly built here is an honor,” Conover said. “Looking ahead, my focus is on deepening our community connections, expanding educational programming, and growing our museum, archive, and genealogy resources into an even stronger destination for the community and for visitors alike — all built on a foundation of sustainable growth.”
