Elizabeth Karcher is the Executive Director of the President Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, D.C., a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Wilson House is a museum with guided and self-guided tours, educational programs and events, and is an event space. The site offers an intimate look at Wilson the man, his presidency, and his legacy – complicated, controversial, and consequential.
As Executive Director, Elizabeth manages the strategy and operations of this historic house and museum. The site’s current focus is on the themes of African American history, women’s history, and Wilson’s international impact. The Wilson House team is dedicated to ensuring that the House is a place for open dialogue and discussion of important historical issues related to the Wilson Presidency. Elizabeth’s team encompasses curatorial, operations, and marketing managers, as well as 20 trained museum guides. Her goal for the house is to share stories that tie the past to today. With over 8,400 pieces in the collection, this National Historic Landmark is a model historic and presidential site.
Prior to joining the National Trust and the Wilson House, Elizabeth worked at Discovery, Inc. a leading global media company.
Elizabeth served in many roles with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, Junior Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase, MD, including serving as Club President where she led the club to convert from 501(c)4 to 501(c)3 status. She was instrumental in developing long-term fundraising programs to support the organization. She is an advisor to the board of the Shanta Foundation which supports sustainable community development in rural Myanmar.
Elizabeth holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from Rutgers University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the American University of Paris, France. She and her husband live in Washington in a historic home that they have lovingly restored and renovated, preserving many historic features and details.
Maxwell Miller is the Senior Manager of Historic Site and Events at the Wilson House. Maxwell joined the Wilson House team in 2022 as a part-time guide, Girl Scout Coordinator, and Special Event Lead. Before joining the Wilson House staff full-time, Maxwell was the Youth Education Program Manager at Temple Sinai of Washington, D.C. During Maxwell’s time in D.C., she has also worked as a program partner intern with The National Building Museum and a museum intern at the Lilian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum. Maxwell has always loved how museums can offer special and unique learning opportunities to a variety of museum audiences whether it be through educational programs or special events in historic spaces.
Maxwell holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching in Museum Education from the Graduate School or Education and Human Development form The George Washington University in Washington, DC. She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a Minor in History from the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. As Senior Manager of Historic Site and Events , she focuses on museum public programing, exhibitions, tours and staffing, and special property uses.
John Pucher is the Senior Manager of Business and Operations at the Wilson House. John has been with the National Trust for Historic Preservation since April 1999. Over the last 25 years, he has worked at various sites and positions. He started working for the National Trust in the Historic Sites department as the Assistant Financial Administrator to the Historic Sites, the Financial Administrator at Preservation Magazine, the Business Administrator to the Lincoln Cottage and Wilson House in Washington, DC. He has been in his current position at the Wilson House since 2013.
John has a Bachelor of Arts from Central Bible College in Springfield, MO. His academic curriculum included course study on church, foreign missions, biblical history, and entity management.
Wesley Smith joins as Deputy Director at the Woodrow Wilson House starting in 2025. He is a senior program and event management professional with over 20 years of experience driving impactful initiatives within the nonprofit sector. Most recently serving as Vice President of Programs and Engagement at The United States Navy Memorial Foundation, Wes led comprehensive event production, marketing strategies, and team operations while collaborating with executive leadership on strategic planning and donor stewardship.
Prior to this role, Wes spent nearly 14 years as Program Director at the American Veterans Center, where he orchestrated the National Memorial Day Parade—the nation's largest Memorial Day event—and managed high-profile conferences serving 600+ attendees. His expertise encompasses large-scale event logistics, stakeholder relations, budget management, and protocol advisement for U.S. and foreign dignitaries and senior officials.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in International Business from Miami University's Richard T. Farmer School of Business Administration. Based in Washington, D.C., Wes specializes in nonprofit operations, donor engagement, and protocol and event management. He enjoys spending time with his family - wife Abigail, son Logan (6) and daughter Sloane (3).