Art lecturer, author, historian and cultural site tour leader J. Thomas Savage is joining The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as Director of Educational Travel and Conferences starting July 12.

“Tom Savage is an internationally known and respected expert who will bring new vigor and creative energy to our venerable conference and travel programs,” said Ronald L. Hurst, the Foundation’s Chief Curator and Vice President for Museums, Preservation, and Historic Resources.  “A frequent collaborator with members of the Colonial Williamsburg team, his new position will in many ways be a homecoming.”

A Virginia native and William & Mary graduate, Savage’s career has spanned the public and private arts world with career highlights including service as Senior Vice President and Director of Sotheby’s Institute of Art for North and South America, and as Curator and Director of Museums for Historic Charleston Foundation directing its collections and historic properties. Savage currently serves as Director of External Affairs for Winterthur Museum, Gardens and Library.

“I am honored and humbled to join the extraordinary team at Colonial Williamsburg, a place that has inspired me since earliest childhood,” said Savage. “Colonial Williamsburg fostered my education and career path. It is a privilege to serve a cherished institution to which I owe so much.”

Drawing extensively from his distinguished career and subject matter expertise, Savage will evolve and expand the Foundation’s popular educational symposia and conference series, which includes perennial favorites Working Wood in the 18th Century, Annual Antiques Forum, Annual Garden Symposium and Ales Through the Ages, among others.

An expert on the British country house, Savage has coordinated and led specialized itineraries in England, Ireland and Scotland. His decades of experience leading tours of important historic, educational and cultural sites around the world will help re-establish Colonial Williamsburg’s popular educational travel program to domestic and international sites.

Savage holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History from William & Mary and a master’s degree in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program of the State University of New York. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Decorative Arts Trust and is a member of the Furniture History Society.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation preserves, restores and operates Virginia’s 18th-century capital of Williamsburg. Innovative and interactive experiences highlight the relevance of the American Revolution to contemporary life and the importance of an informed, active citizenry. The Colonial Williamsburg experience includes more than 600 restored or reconstructed original buildings, renowned museums of decorative arts and folk art, extensive educational outreach programs for students and teachers, lodging, culinary options from historic taverns to casual or elegant dining, the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club featuring 45 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones and his son Rees Jones, a full-service spa and fitness center, pools, retail stores and gardens. Philanthropic support and revenue from admissions, products and hospitality operations sustain Colonial Williamsburg’s educational programs and preservation initiatives.