Beverly at 400: A Celebration of our Past, Present, and Future
January 14 @ 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
As Beverly prepares to celebrate 400 years, we’re gathering to reflect on the stories, people, and experiences that define our community.
Join local partners for a free conversation about the year’s planned events, ways to get involved, and opportunities to help shape the celebration. We’ll also introduce the Beverly 400 Stories Project—a chance for you to help capture the heart of our community through personal stories and shared memories. Come connect, contribute, and together, let’s honor where we’ve been, and imagine where we’re going.
TODD ROTONDO
Todd Rotondo is the President and Founder of Beverly 400+, the volunteer initiative leading the community’s 400th-anniversary celebrations. A dedicated civic leader and lifelong community advocate, Todd has served as a Beverly City Councilor since 2020, representing Ward 1.
He is the Co-Owner of Salerno’s of Beverly, a local family-run business that has been part of the community for more than 25 years. Todd also serves as Chairman of the Beverly Youth Collaboration Board, supporting programs and partnerships that strengthen opportunities for young people across the city.
Deeply rooted in the Ryal Side neighborhood, Todd is the Past President of the Ryal Side Civic Association and has spent many years supporting Beverly’s schools. His volunteer work includes leadership roles in the Ayers Ryal Side Elementary PTO as well as the Beverly Citywide PTO, where he helped advance parent engagement, school initiatives, and community-building efforts.
With decades of community involvement, public service, and local business experience, Todd thrives on bringing people together to build a stronger, more connected Beverly.
MEDLEY LONG III
As a proud Beverly resident, business owner, and longtime community volunteer, Medley serves as Owner and Creative Director of Medley Creative Group, a branding and marketing firm based in Beverly. He has held numerous leadership roles, including two-term President of the Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves as President of Beverly Homecoming, Vice President of both the Beverly Farms Improvement Society and Beverly 400+, and as a Board Member of the Beverly Holiday Parade. He also serves as Chair of the Beverly 400+ Marketing Subcommittee. This year, he is especially excited to help connect Beverly Homecoming with Beverly 400+, two celebrations that honor the spirit of the community—featuring double the fireworks and an extra week of festivities for Beverly Homecoming week.
Abby Battis, ALM
Ms. Battis is the Director at Historic Beverly. She has more than a decade of experience in the museum field in curatorial practice and collections management.
Ms. Battis holds a Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Museum Studies from the Harvard Extension School where she has been an adjunct instructor for 9 years teaching classes on the future of historic house museums and museum exhibition design fundamentals. Ms. Battis recently received a letter of commendation for her distinguished teaching performance in the Harvard Extension School.
Ms. Battis is also an adjunct faculty member at Endicott College where she is a professor of Art History and Arts Administration. Ms. Battis also holds an adjunct faculty position at Montserrat College of Art where she is a professor in the Art History Department.
Ms. Battis has served as a consultant for various museums, including being an integral part of the strategic planning project for the Wenham Museum, and an exhibition consultant for the Southold Historical Society on Long Island and the Issaquah History Museum in Issaquah, Washington. She recently finished a project as museum historian for the Bakers Island Light project for Essex National Heritage.
She has been named one of the Top 10 Women Leaders in the Region by North of Boston Business Magazine, and has received numerous awards including the Pioneer in Partnership Award from Essex National Heritage and the National Park Service, the Gold Star Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and was awarded an Arts and Culture Citation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Gin Wallace
Gin Wallace heads up the History Subcommittee, which has been working on the Stories project as well as the design for improvements and new historical signage at Independence Park, the script for the re-enactment of the Hannah vs Nautilus battle, and the updating of our city’s history, which hasn’t been done since the 1840s. She is the retired Executive Director of Beverly Main Streets, serves in the board of Historic Beverly, and is a volunteer chef for Lasagna Love.
