RUGBY – Teresa S. Bowman has been named the new executive director of Historic Rugby Inc. The Historic Rugby Inc. board of directors voted unanimously on the nomination May 16.
Bowman, a native of Knoxville, is a cultural anthropologist and former college instructor with a background in research and advertising. She has experience in retail, hospitality and food service, which prepares her for overseeing the operations of the multiple facilities within the 135-year-old Victorian village located on the Cumberland Plateau.
Bowman will be responsible for maintaining and communicating the ideals upon which Rugby was established. Rugby was founded in 1880; the village has continued for more than 13 decades, with numerous original buildings still in existence.
“I consider this a great honor – and a great responsibility,” Bowman said in a release. “The principles upon which Rugby was founded more than a century ago are still relevant today, some maybe even more so now. My purpose is to help the citizens of Rugby and its many supporters worldwide share Rugby’s values – and pass them on to new generations.”
Bowman said Historic Rugby’s missions include historic preservation, outreach, education, environmental conservation, and helping people reconnect with their roots.
Rugby is located just off Highway 52, 16 miles southeast of Jamestown and 35 miles from either I-40 or I-75 in East Tennessee on the southern edge of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
