NCPH Board of Directors Award for Extraordinary Service

Awarded for the first time in 2018, the Board of Directors Award for Extraordinary Service is given when the NCPH Board seeks to recognize publicly an individual who has, through long-term and substantive effort, made transformational contributions to the work of NCPH. This award was last presented in 2026.

2026 Winner – Kristine Navarro-McElhaney

NCPH’s Board of Directors awards the 2026 Award for Extraordinary Service to Kristine Navarro-McElhaney in recognition of her exceptional leadership and service to NCPH over more than a decade. Kristine’s dedication to NCPH has been defined by careful financial stewardship, enthusiastic promotion of public history, and an unwavering commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Her warmth, and compassion have touched volunteers, staff, and members throughout her tenure.

Among Kristine’s most significant contributions has been her leadership in helping NCPH more meaningfully address a long and troubling lack of diversity in public history as a field and in our organization specifically. Before becoming NCPH’s first Latina President, she co-chaired the Diversity Task Force and helped guide its transition into a standing committee. As Vice President, she carried this commitment into board appointments, prioritizing the inclusion of public historians from underrepresented communities in committee leadership and membership. As President, Kristine continued to advance these transformative shifts in NCPH’s leadership culture. She regularly used her “President’s Comments” column in the newsletter to highlight the work and perspectives of BIPOC and emerging public historians. In 2024 she reimagined the traditional Presidential Address as a Presidential Roundtable, creating a more inclusive and collaborative model for leadership and reflection.

Kristine has played a pivotal role in expanding the visibility of NCPH. In 2014, she brought students from the University of Texas at El Paso to the Monterey conference, where they documented NCPH activities and interviewed staff, board representatives, members, and attendees. They produced a series of videos and other materials defining public history, highlighting NCPH’s support for consulting historians and students, and promoting future events.

During her service as Treasurer from 2012 to 2018, Kristine helped guide the organization through major staff transitions at a time when support from our host university was declining. During a break from board service between 2018 to 2020, Kristine volunteered as a social media manager for NCPH’s platforms. After joining Arizona State University, she secured institutional support for the redesign of NCPH’s website, along with three additional years of funding for website hosting and maintenance. She helped expand NCPH’s reach on Twitter during its peak years and brought greater professionalism, consistency, and visual quality to the organization’s online presence—achievements that are often difficult to sustain through volunteer labor alone.

As Vice President, President, and Immediate Past President from 2020 to 2026, she provided essential leadership, stability, and kindness as NCPH navigated the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on both the field and the organization. Whether mailing care packages to staff, organizing a virtual baby shower for a fellow board member, or dedicating time to member and donor outreach, Kristine consistently fostered a sense of connection, appreciation, and shared purpose. Her care and generosity helped ensure that board members, staff, and volunteers remained connected, valued, and committed to NCPH’s mission during a challenging period.

Submission Guidelines

The Board of Directors Award for Extraordinary Service was established in 2018 to recognize publicly an individual who has, through long-term and substantive effort, made transformational contributions to the work of NCPH. The NCPH Board of Directors administers the award and selects the winner. Award winners receive complimentary meeting registration and a ticket for the awards breakfast.