Meet Jackie

Jackie Spainhour is the President of Historic Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit organization working to respectfully celebrate the legacies of those interred there through education, historic preservation, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. In this role, she manages an annual operating budget of $2 million and a multimillion dollar endowment alongside the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As the lead executive of the organization, Jackie oversees a diverse staff of fourteen individuals who work in the areas of funerals, membership, special events, education, finance, conservation, and grounds management. Prior to her current role, Jackie served as the Director of the Hunter House Victorian Museum in Norfolk, Virginia for nearly a decade and as a college instructor for courses in history at her alma mater, Old Dominion University (ODU). Jackie holds multiple degrees, including a B.A. and M.A. in History from ODU and an M.S. in Nonprofit Administration from the Louisiana State University (LSU). She was named one of Coastal Virginia Magazine’s Millennials on the Move in 2020 and one of ODU Alumni Association’s 40 under 40 in 2021. She recently completed the Association for Fundraising Professionals Leadership Institute and became a Certified Nonprofit Professional in 2024.

Jackie is also the author of three books, including two local history works and one textbook for museum studies courses. Her publications are titled Museums and Millennials, A History Lover’s Guide to Norfolk, and Gilded Age Norfolk, Virginia. A volunteer at heart, she also serves on the Board of Directors of the Victorian Society in America as its treasurer and the Quality Trust as its development committee chair. Jackie rounds out her volunteer work as an active member of the Junior League of Washington on the Literacy Events Committee. In her spare time, she loves to read, traveling and visiting museums and historic sites, and spending time with her two boys and husband. 

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Jackie's skills include coaching, strategic planning, facilitation, management, executive leadership, fundraising, volunteer coordination, board development, and nonprofit finance. She applies these skills to promote a more inclusive world for those living with developmental disabilities.