Susan Battle, who was recently named Executive Director at Linden Place following the fall departure of her predecessor Jim Connell, remembers the first day she came on the job, nearly 16 years ago. "I met Joan Roth, and Madeline Grimo, these wonderful volunteers who had so much passion for Linden Place," she said. "I was over the moon."

Graduating from URI in the mid-1990's, Ms. Battle, a Pawtucket native who makes her home in Little Compton with her husband Greg Sorbello, found herself paying her bills with a job as a medical records clerk at Memorial Hospital. It was a far cry from what she had hoped to do with a degree in art history and a minor in history. But a position as a volunteer docent at the John Brown House in Providence soon opened doors in her chosen field.

"Training at the John Brown House was amazing," she said. "It was a 12 week program, and tougher than any college course I ever took." This docent "boot camp" was an intense course in decorative arts, Rhode Island history, and all things John Brown. Considering the similarities between the pursuits and fortunes of the Brown and DeWolf families, little did Ms. Battle know how well she was being prepared for her future position in Bristol.

For years, Ms. Battle served as the property administrator, focusing her energies on events planning and programming, as well as working with the wedding clients whose business constitutes a significant share of Linden Place's operating budget. Moving from that focus to the big-picture oversight has taken some getting used to.

"I was comfortable in my old position, but it's been really fun and exciting to learn new things — once I got over the hurdle of understanding the financial piece of it." Ms. Battle gives credit to employees Kelly Gaudet of Newport and Betti Bucco, a recent RWU graduate living in Bristol, who are handling events and promotion and programming respectively, allowing Ms. Battle to find her stride with the rest of her responsibilities. It's the first time the organization has had three full-time employees, and Ms. Battle is counting on that extra energy to allow them to launch some great programs and events in 2018.

"We want 2018 to be a year of reaching out to young people and developing the kinds of programs that will bring them through our doors," said Ms. Battle. With that in mind, they have been talking to the Bristol/Warren Regional School District about hosting after school programs in the Linden Place gardens, working with historic preservation majors at RWU to develop a master plan for the property, and developing more of the highly popular and successful thematic tours that were begun under Connell's leadership. A new student membership level will provide a very affordable way for students to enjoy all the benefits of membership.

Events already in the works include a May 5 Derby Day party, a series of lectures and book signings of books with a historic food angle, a concert series that will include a Bossa Nova Brazilian Jazz show, and partnering with the Bristol Art Museum's upcoming Portuguese cultural festival.

While this wide range of cultural programming supports Linden Place's mission, it does more than that. "It gives people an opportunity to connect with history," said Ms. Battle. "We are developing a tangible connection to the past."

For more information of Linden Place and its programming and events, visit www.LindenPlace.org.