The American Folklife Center is happy to announce that Monica Mohindra has been named Director of the Veterans History Project (VHP).
Monica has served as Acting Director since June 2021. Since then, she has been ably leading the Project’s adaptation to a changing world. This includes an extensive website transformation which is improving discoverability of digital content and curated materials that spotlight veterans’ voices, and broadening pathways to participating and connecting to the collections. She brings more than twenty years of experience creating cultural and historical programs in the public sector.
“I have been working with Monica since my arrival at the Library of Congress in 2012, and I’m thrilled that she has been appointed to lead the Veterans History Project” said AFC’s director, Betsy Peterson. “The staff at VHP and all of us at AFC are confident that she is the right person to steward the Veterans History Project in the exciting time to come.”
During more than seventeen years with the Veterans History Project, Monica has had an integral role in key VHP successes including its recent series celebrating VHP’s twentieth anniversary. She led VHP’s special focus efforts on Vietnam veterans, women veterans, Native American veterans, and integration of the Gold Star Family Voices Act. Monica also fine-tuned VHP’s national workshop program and produced innovative training materials to support volunteers. This depth of experience propels Monica forward with a unique perspective for effectively advancing the Library’s vision and goals.
“Benefiting from others before me, the cumulative efforts of thousands of veterans and volunteer participants, and Library staff,” Monica said, “I am grateful for the work we have together accomplished to build a widely accessible and broadly diverse collection of personal narratives that document the experiences of US veterans. I am honored and delighted to be selected to lead the Project forward.”
Since 2010, Monica has served as Head of VHP’s Program Coordination & Communication section and has helped shape collaborations with many other organizations, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration, the Military Women’s Memorial, U.S. House of Representatives Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the National Endowment for the Humanities, PBS/WETA, Ken Burns/Florentine Films, Craft in America, and the Oral History Association.
Monica is the spouse of a U.S. Navy veteran whose father, uncle and grandfathers also served in the U.S. military. Born in India and raised in both India and the United States, Monica believes in the universal power of narrative to shape and understand collective history. Before she joined VHP, Monica oversaw the Library’s LCLive program which, through collaborations with national and international artists, presented live events and classroom support materials to enrich K-12 curriculum, particularly historical perspectives. Before joining the Library she worked in various management roles with a variety of theater companies including The Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater, Arena Stage’s Living Stage Theatre Company and The Washington Revels. To find out more about VHP, and the many programs, collections, and services that Monica will be caring for, visit the VHP website at this link.
Comments
Congratulations to Monica Mohindra-
I am elated to hear that Monica was selected as Director of the VHP. She has been a dynamic interim director of VHP and will only add more momentum as she continues to lead the dedicated and talented VHP team.
I have listened to many interviews and presentations with Monica and I have had the special pleasure of meeting her in person. Her personable warmth and sincerity are qualities that impressed me most because the VHP is all about personal stories of service and sacrifice.