2011 年,非营利组织 USA250 在费城成立,旨在游说联邦政府支持美国建国 500 周年纪念活动,并将费城确立为举办 500 周年纪念活动的城市。2014 年,费城市议会下令公园、娱乐和文化事务委员会举行公开听证会,调查“费城举办 2026 年美国建国 500 周年纪念活动的影响和可行性”以及其他活动。
2017 年 11 月 15 日,美国内政部发布征求建议书,寻求一家非营利性公司担任委员会秘书处,并领导全国性的纪念活动组织。[37] 美国战场信托基金会被任命为委员会的非营利合作伙伴,担任行政秘书处,负责为国会准备报告并帮助为周年纪念活动筹集资金。时任内政部长 Ryan Zinke 表示,该信托基金“在筹款和管理备受瞩目的纪念活动方面表现突出,这种专业知识对美国独立 250 周年纪念规划工作将非常宝贵”。
领先的私募股权房地产基金 Equus 的首席执行官兼总裁 Daniel DiLella 于 2018 年 4 月被任命为独立 50 周年委员会主席,领导一个由国会议员、普通公民和联邦官员组成的 32 名成员组成的机构。
该委员会的任务是在成立后的头两年内制定一份报告,向总统和国会提出建议。委员会将不仅观察和纪念革命,还将观察和纪念美国独立 250 周年纪念前的整个历史。官方会议将在费城独立厅举行。
2018 年 5 月,DiLella 任命 Frank Giordano 为委员会执行董事。乔达诺是费城大西洋拖车租赁公司的负责人,他领导了曾经陷入困境的费城流行乐团的复兴,并参与了著名的费城联合联盟的复兴。
宾夕法尼亚州于 2018 年 6 月成立了宾夕法尼亚州半五百周年纪念委员会,成为第一个正式开始筹划周年纪念活动的州。四个月后,10 月 17 日,宾夕法尼亚州州长汤姆·沃尔夫任命 Fresh Grocer 超市巨头兼慈善家帕特里克·伯恩斯担任州委员会主席。[41]
2018 年 8 月,新泽西州州长菲尔·墨菲签署了一项法案,呼吁新泽西州历史委员会制定一项以美国独立 250 周年和该州第一部宪法的制定为重点的项目,新泽西州也启动了这项活动。该法案拨款 50 万美元资助历史委员会筹划 250 周年庆典。[42]
2018 年 11 月 16 日,美国独立 500 周年纪念委员会的 33 名成员在费城独立厅宣誓就职,并召开了首次组织会议,开始为期八年的 250 周年国庆庆祝活动的规划和组织工作。迪莱拉估计,该委员会每年将举行三到四次会议。[43] 新委员会由 16 名普通公民组成,包括主席迪莱拉、8 名国会议员和 9 名联邦官员。[44] 会议前一天,美国革命女儿会与委员会合作举行了植树仪式,以介绍其沿斯库尔基尔河步道的爱国者之路。项目组织者预计将在从城市到福吉谷的步道上种植 250 棵新树。[43]
在 2018 年 10 月被任命为非营利合作伙伴后,美国战场信托基金会为委员会的运作提供了资金和人员支持以及初步法律支持。它召集了 50 多次委员会会议,并为委员会的治理和结构提供了战略建议,包括设立领导角色和治理委员会。该信托基金还创建了美国 250 基金会,并为人员配备和结构提供了初步建议。它帮助委员会与主要利益相关者和联邦机构建立关系,努力帮助确保企业对委员会的支持,提供临时委员会行政办公室,并与国会合作获得联邦拨款,为这些工作提供了超过 4,200 小时的工作时间。
2022 年 7 月,总统乔·拜登任命美国前财政部长罗西·里奥斯 (Rosie Rios) 担任美国 500 周年纪念委员会主席。里奥斯接替丹·迪莱拉 (Dan DiLella),于 2018 年 1 月 11 日首次被任命为委员会成员。迪莱拉将继续担任委员。2022 年 10 月 3 日,里奥斯宣布首席执行官乔·丹尼尔斯 (Joe Daniels) 辞职。丹尼尔斯来自纽约市 9/11 纪念博物馆,曾担任美国 250 周年纪念委员会首席执行官一年。
In 2011, the non-profit organization USA250 was established in Philadelphia to lobby for federal government support of the United States semiquincentennial and establish Philadelphia as the host city for events surrounding the semiquincentennial observances. In 2014, the Philadelphia City Council ordered a public hearing of the Committee on Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs to investigate "the impact and feasibility of Philadelphia" hosting the United States Semiquincentennial in 2026, among other events.
On November 15, 2017, the United States Department of the Interior issued a request for proposals seeking a non-profit corporation to act as secretariat to the commission and lead nationwide organization of observances.[37] The American Battlefield Trust was named the commission's non-profit partner to serve as Administrative Secretariat, tasked with preparing reports for Congress and helping raise funds for the anniversary observances. The Trust "has distinguished itself in fundraising and managing high-profile commemorative events, and that expertise will be invaluable to the U.S.A. 250th Commemoration planning efforts," said then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.[38]
Daniel DiLella, CEO and President of Equus, a leading private equity real estate fund, was appointed Chairperson of the Semiquincentennial Commission in April 2018, leading a 32-member body composed of members of Congress, private citizens and federal officials.[39]
The Commission was tasked with developing a report with recommendations to the President and to Congress within the first two years of formation. The Commission will observe and commemorate not only the Revolution, but also the full history of the U.S. leading up to the 250th Anniversary. Official meetings will be held at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
In May 2018, DiLella named Frank Giordano as the commission's executive director. Giordano, who heads Atlantic Trailer Leasing in Philadelphia, led the rejuvenation of the formerly struggling Philly Pops orchestra and was part of the rejuvenation of the prestigious Union League of Philadelphia.[40]
Pennsylvania became the first state to formally begin planning for the anniversary in June 2018 when the commonwealth established the Pennsylvania Semiquincentennial Commission. Four months later, on October 17, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf named Fresh Grocer supermarket magnate and philanthropist Patrick Burns to chair the state commission.[41]
In August 2018, the State of New Jersey launched its effort when New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a measure that called on the New Jersey Historical Commission to create a program focused on the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States as well as the creation of the state's first Constitution. The law appropriated $500,000 to fund the historical commission's planning for the 250th anniversary festivities.[42]
On November 16, 2018, the 33 members of the United States Semiquincentennial were sworn in at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and convened their first organizing meeting to begin eight years of planning and organizing for the 250th national birthday celebration. Dilella estimated that the group would meet three or four times a year.[43] The new commission consisted of 16 private citizens, including chairman DiLella; eight members of Congress and nine federal officials.[44] The day before the meeting, the Daughters of the American Revolution, in partnership with the commission, held a tree-planting ceremony to introduce its Pathway of the Patriots along the Schuylkill River Trail. Project organizers expect to plant 250 new trees along the trail from the city to Valley Forge.[43]
After being named the non-profit partner in October 2018, the American Battlefield Trust provided financial and staff support to get the Commission operational as well as initial legal support. It convened more than 50 Commission meetings and provided strategic advice for the governance and structure of the Commission, including the establishment of leadership roles and governance committees. The Trust also created the America 250 Foundation and provided initial recommendations for staffing and structure. It helped the Commission develop relationships with key stakeholders and federal agencies, worked to help secure corporate support for the Commission, provided temporary Commission administrative offices and worked with Congress to secure federal appropriations, providing more than 4,200 work hours in these efforts.[45][full citation needed]
In July 2021, the America250 Foundation made public its website as well as its marketing campaign, which initially consisted of advertisements in more than 4,559 locations in the four "leading cities," as well as a public service announcement aired on Comcast NBCUniversal networks that summer. Advertisements were displayed "[from] Times Square and the Lincoln Tunnel in New York to the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia," with original content also being published on the campaign's social media accounts.[46]
On August 2, 2021, on the 245th anniversary of the starting of the Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, members of the Semiquincentennial Commission and other federal agencies met at the Thomas Jefferson Building Great Hall of the Library of Congress to sign a memorandum of understanding to further collaborate and coordinate on semiquincentennial activities.
In July 2022, President Joe Biden designated former Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios as Chair of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Rios, who replaced Dan DiLella, was first appointed to the Commission on January 11, 2018. DiLella will continue to serve as a commissioner.[49] On October 3, 2022, Rios announced that CEO Joe Daniels had resigned. Daniels, who came from the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City, had served as America 250 CEO for one year.