United States Eventing Association

Executive Director of Historic Morven Park To Retire After 16 Years Of Dedicated Service

LEESBURG, LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA (May 18, 2009)—The Board of Trustees of the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, Inc. announced today that long-standing Morven Park Executive Director, William F. O’Keefe, will be retiring on December 31, 2009. The Board oversees the operations of Morven Park and its associated services and programs.

“Morven Park is exceptionally proud of O’Keefe’s leadership, guidance, and direction,” says Jill Gruver, President of the Board of Trustees. For the past sixteen years, he has been instrumental in the growth and expansion of the facility’s physical infrastructure and community programs.”

Highlights of O’Keefe’s career include overseeing the extensive renovation of the historic mansion along with the restoration of the Winmill Carriage Collection which is housed on the grounds of Morven Park. He has also made significant contributions to the development of the Morven Park International Equestrian Center and the educational and cultural programs offered at Morven Park.

The Board of Trustees will be undertaking a nation-wide search to identify and hire a new Executive Director. In this important endeavor, it is partnering with executive search firm Association Strategies Inc. of Alexandria.

About Morven Park:
The grounds of Morven Park include over 1,000 acres of lawns, fields, and wooded areas, along with the historic Boxwood Gardens. Much of the property has been placed in conservation easements in order to preserve the open space for future generations. Indeed, Morven Park has been called an “oasis” in the midst of Northern Virginia’s rapid development. Areas that once saw Union and Confederate troops skirmishing during the Civil War and pure bred livestock grazing in the fields, now host thousands of visitors each year attending equestrian events, special activities, guided tours and educational programs. Presently, the estate hosts the activities of the Winmill Carriage Collection, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting, Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Foundation, the Morven Park Steeplechase Races and the Morven Park Spring and Fall Horse Trials. For more information, visit www.morvenpark.org.