September 1, 2020

The International Churchill Society (ICS) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new leadership team. The society has undergone a structural change that will enable better coordination between its independent-but-affiliated branches around the world. An international Operating Committee has been created that now functions as the main engine for developing and managing ICS activities while an International Council will oversee coordination of the ICS branches along with the National Churchill Library and Center in Washington, D.C. and America’s National Churchill Museum at Westminster College in Fulton, MO. Additionally, a new Executive Director has been appointed to lead ICS in the United States.

Allen Packwood OBE, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College, Cambridge, has agreed to chair the Operating Committee while continuing as Director of the Archives Centre. Packwood will also serve on the International Council.

“I am very excited to be working with such a great team on initiatives to bring Churchill before a wider audience and to help research, debate and highlight the many diverse aspects of his life and legacy,” Packwood said.

Justin Reash has been appointed the new Executive Director of the International Churchill Society (US) and Program Director of the National Churchill Library and Center at the George Washington University, effective September 14. From 2013 to 2015, Reash served as Assistant Director of the Society before spending the last five years in numerous fundraising roles at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

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“I feel like I am ‘coming home’ to the Society after five years away,” Reash said. “My priority is to build upon the significant progress achieved by my predecessors, and I thank President Randolph Churchill, Chairman Laurence Geller, and Vice-Chairman Jean-Paul Montupet for placing their trust in me. I want to recognize the incredible support we have from our members around the world and pledge to them that I will work hard to carry out the mission of our organization. That mission has grown in importance over the past few years, and, without the continued dedication of our members, we could not achieve our goals.” Additionally, “The National Churchill Library and Center has been a fundamental part of the success of the Society in the past few years,” Reash said, “and I look forward to further partnering with the George Washington University community, especially with the faculty and students.”

Jean-Paul Montupet, ICS Vice Chairman, has now taken on the additional role of serving as Chairman of the International Council. “With Allen and Justin assuming their new roles in conjunction with Andrew Smith leading ICS (UK), Timothy Riley leading America’s National Churchill Museum at Westminster College, David Freeman as editor of Finest Hour, and John David Olsen as our Webmaster,” Montupet said, “we have an extremely capable leadership team. Despite the suspension of normal activities due to the pandemic, our new organizational structure has already enabled us to transform this year’s conference into a completely online event and put together other online programs that enable ICS to continue its mission without interruption.”

Announcing the new arrangements, ICS Chairman Laurence Geller said, “I cannot overstate how important Allen and Justin will be in achieving the lofty goals of this organization. Along with Jean-Paul, Andrew, Tim, David, and John they bring exceptional experience as well as Action-This-Day attitudes. The organization is in safe hands.” 

If you have any questions or simply want to share your thoughts, Reash can be reached at [email protected] or +1-202-929-0309.