Structural parity, or equal power-sharing, is a community-based governance model. An example of the type of democracy James Madison himself proposed, parity offers exciting new opportunities for Montpelier and our visitors. Join the leadership of The Montpelier Foundation and the Montpelier Descendants Committee (MDC) to learn about what this new power-sharing relationship means for Montpelier’s future. 

In person panel will begin at 10:30 AM in the Grand Salon at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center.

James French is an entrepreneur expanding financial services with advanced technology to emerging economies. After graduating from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, French worked in international banking and in various senior government and corporate advisory roles across the globe. French is the founding Chair of the Montpelier Descendants Committee and currently serves as the Chairman of The Montpelier Foundation Board. 

Reverend Lawrence “Larry” E. Walker is a church pastor and administrator in Columbia, Maryland, particularly focused on youth education and community empowerment. He currently serves as the Deputy Pastor and Chief-of Staff at Celebration Church at Columbia, the largest Black congregation in Howard County, Maryland. He has served in his current role since 2005. He is a proud descendant of Benjamin McDaniel of Montpelier (1790-1875) and serves as President of the Montpelier Descendants Committee. 

Elizabeth Chew, Ph.D. is the Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at James Madison's Montpelier. From 2015- May 2022 she was Executive Vice President and Chief Curator, overseeing the Curatorial, Education, Archaeology, Preservation, and Research departments and the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution. An art historian, she holds a B.A. from Yale, an M.A. from the Courtauld Institute of the University of London and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked at museums and historic sites since 1985.