News Article

National Archives Foundation Announces New Board Members Anne S. Chao, The Honorable Laurie S. Fulton, Brad Meltzer and Rebecca Boggs Roberts

January 6, 2021

The National Archives Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the National Archives and Records Administration, today announced the election of historian Anne S. Chao, former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Laurie S. Fulton, award-winning author Brad Meltzer, and museum curator and author Rebecca Boggs Roberts to its Board of Directors. 

“On behalf of our entire National Archives Foundation Board, we are excited about these new members of our team. They will be a great addition to our energetic and distinguished board. The diversity of their experience will be a major asset to our mission of helping develop and support our exhibitions, programs and civics initiatives all across America.,” said Chair and President of the Board Governor James J. Blanchard. 

The National Archives Foundation Board is the key strategic advisory body of the National Archives Foundation. The board works to generate financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs and educational initiatives. 

New Board Member Biographies

*Headshots available upon request*

Anne S. Chao

Anne S. Chao is a modern Chinese historian and community volunteer. She graduated from Wellesley College and obtained her Ph.D. in modern Chinese history at Rice University. Her current titles are Adjunct Lecturer in the Humanities and Manager of the Houston Asian American Archive (HAAA), at Rice University, Houston, Texas. She co-founded HAAA ten years ago, and the archive has collected over three hundred oral interviews of Asian Americans in the greater Houston region. She is currently researching for her book on the life and social networks of the founder of the Chinese Communist Party, Chen Duxiu. 

A transplant to Houston for almost forty years, Anne sits on the board of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Houston Ballet, the Houston Endowment, Wellesley College, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Arts and Science, and the Dunhuang Foundation.

The Honorable  Laurie S. Fulton

Laurie S. Fulton served as U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from July 2009 to February 2013.  She retired in 2104 as a partner in the law firm Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C., where she practiced for more than two decades and was recognized as one of “Washington’s Top Lawyers” by Washingtonian Magazine.   

As Ambassador, she managed U.S. relations with Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands in areas related to national security, counter-terrorism, arctic policy, piracy, and international law enforcement, among others. Ambassador Fulton organized and co-hosted the 2010 Conference on the Role of Women in Global Security for the U.S. and Nordic-Baltic countries, identifying best practices to assist women in becoming productive citizens in countries emerging from conflict.   

Ambassador Fulton was awarded the Grand Cross of the Danish Royal Order of Dannebrog by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II.  She was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Navy for her service as ambassador.   Ms. Fulton serves as Co-Chair of the Ambassadors Circle of the National Democratic Institute. She is a member of the Council of American Ambassadors, the Diplomatic Advisory Board of the US World War I Centennial Commission, and Women Building Peace Council of the United States Institute of Peace.

Brad Meltzer

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Escape Artist and eleven other bestselling thrillers, including The Inner Circle, whose hero works at the National Archives. He also writes non-fiction books like The First Conspiracy and The Lincoln Conspiracy, and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series, which inspired the hit TV show on PBS KIDS, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, bringing the stories of historical figures to millions of children around the country. In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for Non-Fiction, Advice, Children’s Books, and even comic books, for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award.

Brad is also responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag with his History Channel TV show, Brad Meltzer’s Lost History. 

His books have been read by multiple U.S. Presidents, and while helping Brad with research for one of his thrillers, former President George H.W. Bush gave Brad, for the very first time, the secret letter he left for President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office desk. 

Rebecca Boggs Roberts

Rebecca Boggs Roberts has been many things, including, but not limited to, journalist, producer, tour guide, forensic anthropologist, event planner, political consultant, jazz singer, and radio talk show host. Currently, she is the Curator of Programming for Planet Word, a new museum of words and language in downtown Washington DC. She is the author of three books, Historic Congressional Cemetery; Suffragists in Washington DC; and, with co-author Lucinda Robb, The Suffragist Playbook.  

She has served on the Board of Directors of Historic Congressional Cemetery, and advisory boards for the White House Historical Association, The Historical Society of Washington DC, and the federal Suffrage Centennial Commission. Roberts received her BA in Politics from Princeton University and a MA in biological anthropology from George Washington University. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, three sons, and a big fat dog.

About the National Archives Foundation

The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage, and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy. The Foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world. Learn more at www.archivesfoundation.org.

About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries and online at www.archives.gov. 

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