Making History This month, Pamela Kiecker Royall becomes the first woman to serve as chair of the Virginia Museum of History & Cultureâs board of trustees since the museumâs founding in 1831. She joined the board in 2015, leading its first marketing and communications committee, which helped guide the former Virginia Historical Societyâs rebranding to VMHC in 2018. Royall and her late husband, Bill, who died of complications from ALS in June 2020, are well known for their philanthropy and volunteerism. âBill would always say weâre investors, weâre not donors,â Royall says of their active approach to philanthropy. âHe thought of investing as a more long-term commitment where youâre interested in the day-to-day productivity of the organization because itâs the future that youâre most concerned about.â