Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn President Bill Clendaniel Retires | Page 3

A Conversation
with
Bill Clendaniel
By Stephen H. Anable
Communications Coordinator & Writer
“Bill came in with a real sense of
the need for change while valuing
and respecting the past. At any
organization you have to fi gure
out what you’re trying to do,
what resources you have, and how
to marshal those resources to carry
out the mission. It starts with a
vision, and Bill had that vision.”
— Laura johnson
President of the Massachusetts
Audubon Society and former
Mount Auburn Trustee
V
isionary, historian, lawyer, executive,
preservationist—Bill Clendaniel has
mastered many roles. He assumed the
presidency of Mount Auburn Cemetery 20
years ago, at a time when this venerable in-
stitution seemed vulnerable—on the verge of
running out of space and in need of invigora-
tion. During his ensuing decades of service,
he has transformed the Cemetery, restoring
the best of its past while redefi ning its role
as an active cemetery, cultural treasure, and
community resource.
Summer 2008 | 1