By GINNY COOPER / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO—For Stewart McLaurin, serving as executive vice president of American Village in Montevallo was a coming home of sorts.

McLaurin has an impressive resume. He has previously served as vice president of Mount Vernon for the Fred W. Smith National Library, executive director of the Ronald Regan Centennial Celebration, chief of staff to President John J. DeGioia at Georgetown University, executive vice president of education for the Motion Picture Association of America, manager of public affairs for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and chief of staff to American Red Cross president Elizabeth Dole.

When he was hired as executive vice president of the American Village in August 2013 it was a “wonderful opportunity to come home for a bit.”

“This has been an extraordinary experience. It (American Village) is an amazing place,” said McLaurin, a Birmingham native. “It is one of the things Alabama does extraordinarily well.”

McLaurin is now headed to serve as president of the White House Historical Association in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit institution whose purpose is to “enhance the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the White House,” according to a statement released by the institution.

McLaurin will be the association’s sixth president since its founding in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

“I’m excited about it, and also humbled by it,” McLaurin said of his new position. “The image of the White House is an iconic image that’s known around the world.”

McLaurin also noted a tie to the American Village, where visitors can see a replica of the White House’s Oval Office and East Room.

Throughout his tenure at the American Village, McLaurin said it was the “visionary leadership of Tom Walker” and a “wonderful staff team,” which drives the institution forward.

“I’ve worked all over the country,” McLaurin said. “(American Village) is really a remarkable place.”