Historical Society of Kent County’s Board of Directors Announces Erika Sturgill as Executive Director

CHESTERTOWN, MD – The Board of Directors of the Historical Society of Kent County is pleased to announce Erika Q. Sturgill has been selected as Executive Director of the non-profit organization dedicated to Kent County’s history. Mrs. Sturgill, currently volunteering with the Society, will begin working at the Bordley History Center, 301 High St., Chestertown, officially on Monday, January 4, 2021.

“From my earliest days, my grandmother instilled in me a love for local history, the stories that we live with each and every day, what we can touch, feel, and see. So, I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of such a well-respected organization that is so abundantly dedicated to Kent County’s history and people, and the stories that weave the fabric of our past, present, and future into a unique quilt,” Sturgill stated.

“We are extremely lucky to have Erika join us. She brings her own extensive history of
preservation to her new role, along with a background in promotion, marketing, grant management, and fundraising,” said Society president, Barbara Jorgenson. Sturgill and her husband J. Scott Sturgill recently relocated to the mid-shore when he was named President of The Peoples Bank.

Prior to relocating to the mid-shore, Sturgill had worked for the City of Havre de Grace in
Harford County as Director of Economic Development since 2015, and previously worked in the Cecil County Office of Economic Development. Sturgill, as a volunteer and member of the Board of Directors, worked with the Port Deposit Heritage Corporation for a number of years and served as Curator of their Paw Paw Museum for a decade. During her tenure there, Sturgill researched and wrote A Snowball’s Chance, a book about Snow’s Battery B, 1st Maryland Light Artillery, Union, published under her maiden name, Erika Quesenbery, and donated the book and all proceeds from it to the Port Deposit Heritage Corporation and Paw Paw Museum.

Sturgill, known for a personal Facebook page on which she posts daily local history snippets
featuring Harford and Cecil County, and Maryland, began expanding her almanac of daily historical facts to include Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties when she and her husband recently bought a historic home, Rose Villa, in Sudlersville. She envisions a similar initiative with a variety of social media platforms at the Society and through its existing website, and enhanced participation at community events and activities. “We have an opportunity here to tell the story of our place, and the stories of our people, past, present, and future,” Sturgill noted. “That is an awesome responsibility and challenge I take very seriously and look forward to with great joy.”

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