John C. Hughes is the chief historian for the Office of the Secretary of State. He retired as editor and publisher of The Daily World in Aberdeen in 2008 after a 42-year career in journalism that saw him win awards for reporting, photography, historical features, editorials and columns. An alumnus of the University of Puget Sound and the University of Maryland, he is a trustee of the Washington State Historical Society. Hughes is the author of 11 books on Northwest history, including On the Harbor: From Black Friday to Nirvana; Booth Who?, a biography of Governor Booth Gardner; Slade Gorton, A Half Century in Politics; Lillian Walker, Washington State Civil Rights Pioneer; Governor John Spellman: Politics Never Broke His Heart; Pressing On, the story of the family-owned Seattle Times and Wenatchee World. His latest books are “Un-sold,” a biography of former congresswoman Jolene Unsoeld; Washington Remembers, a collection of profiles of World War II veterans; The Forgotten War Remembered, Korea 65, and 1968: The Year that Rocked Washington. He is now working on a biography of Congresswoman Julia Butler Hansen, D-Wash., one of the most formidable lawmakers in U.S. history.
Trova Heffernan became director of Legacy Washington in 2009. She is the author of multiple books on history including Where the Salmon Run: The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank Jr.. For the secretary of state, Heffernan oversaw public affairs during one of the closest governor's races in U.S. history. Heffernan, a former television journalist and a public speaker, is a graduate of Washington State University.
