Affiliated Professionals
Brian Burford
Brian Burford has been the New Hampshire State Records Manager for 15 years and the New Hampshire State Archivist for more than eight years. Prior to this esteemed position, he worked as a land surveyor, which piqued his interest in archival history and quite literally opened the door to the state archives.
As an Affiliated Professional with Keene State College’s new Master of Arts Degree in History and Archives, Brian will serve as a guest lecturer, point of contact at the NH State Archives, and mentor to Keene State students.
Brian, who is also a Keene State graduate and Second Vice President of the Alumni Association, is a strong believer in giving back to the organizations that have played a role in guiding his education and career path.
We welcome Brian into the program and appreciate his willingness to share his time, experience, and wealth of knowledge with our students.
Alan Rumrill
Alan Rumrill has been Executive Director of the Historical Society of Cheshire County for 35 years. He holds a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Keene State College.
Over the years, Alan has worked with more than 100 student interns and volunteers, mostly from Keene State College, and has served as guest lecturer in several classes at the College. He is thoroughly familiar with the 300,000-item collection held by the Historical Society of Cheshire County.
As part of his work at the Society, Alan has presented more than 1,000 public programs, published eight books on local art and history, and presents a weekly radio program and newspaper column on historical topics. He has served as president of the New Hampshire Archives Group and as an officer of other statewide professional history organizations. He is passionate about sharing stories through his writing and presentations.
Jennifer “Jenna” Carroll
Jennifer Carroll, Director of Education at the Historical Society of Cheshire County, has been managing historical societies and museums in New England for over 20 years. She has also served as curator and executive director of museums.
She holds a Master’s of Arts Degree in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University and a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in History and Women’s Studies from the University of New Hampshire.
With a passion for engaging people of all ages in local history, Jennifer helps coordinate more than 150 public programs for students and residents each year. She also manages a team of curatorial volunteers who catalog and digitize the Society’s object collections.
Jennifer also teaches student interns about the care and maintenance of artifacts and to promote the preservation of Cheshire County history.
Beyond the scope of her work at the Historical Society, Jennifer is on the Board of Directors of the Association of Historical Societies of New Hampshire. She was recognized as one of the Keene Sentinel’s Extraordinary Women of the Monadnock Region in 2017 and is the 2019 recipient of the Keene State College Presidents’ Community Partner Award.