Naples Historical Society names Andy Reed new executive director

The lead champion of Naples history has a new executive director. 

Andy Reed brings a diverse background in fundraising, education and development, a field that can be at odds with Naples Historical Society efforts to preserve vintage structures in Old Naples rather than raze and redevelop them. 

He succeeds Elaine Reed, no relation, who was the society’s first full-time employee nearly two decades ago. She told The Naples Press she leaves the organization on solid footing, with a $13 million endowment and a freshly purchased house for exhibits next to Palm Cottage, east of another Naples icon, Naples Pier. 

If the society is the central voice of Naples history, Palm Cottage is Naples’ portal to that history. 

While Andy Reed’s mission is serious, there is room for fun. He said one of his first exhibits may be a tribute to Naples’ watering holes such as the Swamp Buggy Lounge and Witch’s Brew, with memorabilia solicited from past patrons and the public. 

The idea, Reed said, is a natural, with Naples’ roots as a destination for fun — “a leisure place, a happy place.” 

He looks forward to building upon the society’s archival collection from the area’s earliest days and making it easier for the public to access items for study and even buy for commercial display. 

Reed also aims to help local teachers incorporate Naples history, such as hurricanes and the construction of Tamiami Trail and Naples Airport, into classroom lessons. Knowledge can come from field trips to the museum-like Palm Cottage, which asks youngsters to guess the purpose of various furnishings — a typewriter (an old computer?) or vacuum cleaner (icebox?) for example. 

Andy Reed also offers unusual academic skills, tapping resources at the University of Florida, where he earned a master’s degree in educational leadership. His scholarly audit of university-funded studies introduced him to a little-known project to protect Nantucket from Martha’s Vineyard-style overdevelopment since 1969. 

That led to a professional relationship within the School of Architecture’s College of Design, Conservation and Planning, which just this month provided a faculty member specializing in museums to visit Naples and advise on future historical society potential. 

Reed even sits on the school’s Board of Advocates at UF, which studies and consults on historic preservation throughout Florida and beyond. 

“We believe heritage informs smart decisions about our built and natural environment,” says a policy statement from the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning. “What are you going to do to save the places that you love?” 

Closer to home, Reed’s resume includes fundraising and other development work in the private and non-profit sectors with leading contractors, as well as the Humane Society, Naples Winter Wine Festival (Naples Children Foundation), YMCAs and The Village School. His civic connections broaden with roles on the Naples Airport Noise Compatibility Committee and Collier Medical Society Foundation. 

Meanwhile, Elaine Reed draws on her civic credentials to chart a new career path as a consultant, founding Dragonfly Non-Profit Consulting to assist executive transition coaching, board governance, strategic planning, capital campaign and endowment planning and board retreat preparation and/or moderation. 

“My services are accountable and measurable,” she said. “No platitudes — just deliverables.” 

Looking back, she provided context: “Continuing to cultivate a wonderful board of directors was always an ongoing and productive process. Creating intellectually engaging volunteer programs also helped put the society on the map.” 

Learning from history 

One issue that Andy Reed is not eager to tackle is making historical preservation the law in and around Old Naples, aware that such proposals in the past stirred controversy due to conflicts with private property rights.  

He invokes the wisdom of Jimmy Buffett, a Floridian with a niche in history, who once said he runs away from politics as “too bizarre.” 

As property values continue to soar, maintaining quaint bungalows instead of building homes as large as hotels, as allowed by zoning, becomes an impractical investment.  

Andy Reed would rather focus efforts on showing homeowners how they can work with Naples and Federal Emergency Management Agency rules to refurbish rather than replace — as a matter of choice, not mandate. 

“There is a certain innate quality about historic districts and properties,” he said, “that create long-term value to our quality of life, the ability to attract locals and visitors to the area and support the education of our community about those who came before us to make Naples such a wonderful place to live. 

“It is important that the community [members] work together to prevent ‘killing the goose that lays the golden egg.’” 

A kind of growth that has Reed’s support is health care expanding to match the community. 

He floated the idea of an academic health sciences center somewhere in Southwest Florida, anchored by a school of medicine. 

Charlie Mueller, president of the Naples Historical Society, expects a smooth and timely transition from Elaine Reed to Andy Reed.  

“We were fortunate to get Andy, and the timing was right for him to assume this role,” Mueller said. “He is passionate about Naples history and extremely well connected in the community. He is a true relationship builder!”