FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2024
The House of the Seven Gables Welcomes Five New Trustees
SALEM — The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is proud to welcome five new members to its esteemed Board of Trustees: Trenton Carls, Kate Criscitiello, Jose Nieto, Kurt Steinberg, and Regina Zaragoza Frey.
Trenton Carls is the head librarian and archivist at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, after positions at the Chicago History Museum and New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. A resident of Salem, Carls was immediately drawn to the mission and collection of The House of the Seven Gables. He began volunteering in its archives upon moving to Massachusetts. Carls holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Dominican University in Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in English literature and language from Western Illinois University.
Kate Criscitiello works as a curatorial assistant at the Lexington Historical Society. She specializes in New England history and loves how The Gables’ many stories weave together to tell a uniquely New England narrative. Criscitiello has interned and worked for organizations across the region, including the Center for Preservation of Painted Walls, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Nichols House Museum and the Hingham Historical Society. She received her master’s degree in art history and museum studies from Tufts University.
Jose Nieto is the chief strategy officer at ThinkArgus and holds degrees from Tufts University, New York University and Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Previously, Nieto worked as principal of SquareZero, an award-winning graphic design studio, as lead designer at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and as design director at Northeastern University. He
taught design and strategy at Massachusetts College of Art and Lesley College, lectured at conferences hosted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and the New England Society for Healthcare Communications, and he delivered the keynote address at the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts’ Private Care Symposium. When he’s not thinking about marketing strategy, Nieto enjoys fiction, the performing arts and traveling with his wife and teenage son. He serves on the board at ArtsBoston.
Kurt Steinberg, who earned a doctorate degree in organizational leadership from Northeastern University, is currently the chief operating officer of the Peabody Essex Museum. He has been an authority in operations and arts administration for over 20 years. Before coming to PEM, he completed his tenure as the eighth president of Montserrat College of Art in Beverly. This followed 12 years as executive vice president and acting president at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Dr. Steinberg has delivered lectures on nonprofit finance, inclusive planning, nonprofit fundraising and community relations. He has lectured on the power of innovation and design through art education in China, Japan, India and throughout the United States.
Regina Zaragoza Frey grew up in Querétaro, México, and serves as the inaugural director of diversity, equity, and inclusion for the city of Salem. Frey previously served as the diversity, equity, and inclusion manager for Thorne Nature Experience, one of Colorado’s first and largest environmental education organizations. Her other experience includes working for the “I Have A Dream” Foundation of Boulder County, as well as working as a legal advocate/emergency response specialist at a domestic violence prevention nonprofit. Frey holds a master’s law degree in ethics and compliance, as well as two bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and art history from the University of Colorado Boulder.
About The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association
The mission of The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is to be a welcoming, thriving, historic site and community resource that engages people of all backgrounds in our inclusive American story. For more information visit www.7gables.org