The Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust has named Amanda Kay Ritchie as its new executive director, the Newport-based nonprofit announced Friday.
The board’s selection was unanimous, capping an eight-week regional search led by the organization’s People and Culture Committee.
Ritchie brings more than 12 years of senior nonprofit leadership experience in fundraising, communications, earned revenue and operations. She previously held leadership roles at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, the Lee Family Office and the Kennedy Center.
“Rose Island has an extraordinary story, and I’m honored to help carry it forward,” Ritchie said. “Stewardship, sustainability, and partnership will define my leadership.”
Ritchie steps into the role as the organization enters its 40th year — RILFHT was designated a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1986 — and at what board president Ryan Patrick Kelley called its strongest financial footing to date.
“Amanda brings exactly the combination of creative leadership, operational rigor, and genuine passion for mission-driven work that Rose Island needs as we step confidently into our next chapter,” Kelley said.
Earlier this year, the trust announced the establishment of its first-ever endowment fund, seeded at $250,000, with an active fundraising campaign underway to grow it.
The organization also announced that overnight bookings for the 2026 season at Rose Island Lighthouse are now open and filling quickly. Reservations are available at RoseIsland.org.
Rose Island Lighthouse sits in Narragansett Bay and offers overnight stays, educational programming and public tours.
