experiences
Download my resume here
work history
Director of Operations & Communications — Preservation Action / Foundation
Washington, DC (April 2022 - Present)
Co-Founder and interim executive director – Brick + Beam Detroit
Detroit, MI (March 2015 - Present)
- Co-founded and co-lead Brick + Beam Detroit, a 2015 Knight Cities Challenge winner that connects building rehabbers, property owners, local tradespeople, and others reactivating Detroit’s older buildings with hands-on skills-based classes, DIY resources, and one another to enable building reinvestment projects to begin and to continue
- Develop socially innovative programming to build local talent and foster engagement among Detroiters through hands-on classes for homeowners and un/under-employed contractors
- Cultivate partnerships with local and national organizations to initiate collaborative programming
- Seek ongoing funding opportunities and manage the project’s extensive grant portfolio
Riverfront Development Manager – Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
Detroit Revitalization Fellow
Detroit, MI (August 2017 – February 2019)
- Selected for this position as a Detroit Revitalization Fellow, a competitive national fellowship for mid-career professionals working with civic, community, and economic development organizations to drive progress in Detroit
- Led research projects of parks around the country to analyze funding streams, sustainability models, and programming partnerships to help the Conservancy advance funding future park planning
- Project manager for the Rivertown Business Improvement Zone
- Liased with city agencies, downtown development entities, and funding partners on behalf of the Conservancy to ensure representation and clear communication as projects move forward
- Worked closely with building owners, developers, prospective tenants, and other partners to get vacant and underutilized Rivertown buildings occupied and contributing again to the neighborhood
Director, Rightsizing Cities Initiative (RCI) – PlaceEconomics & Heritage Strategies Intl
New York, NY (April 2015 – August 2017)
- Project managed work at the nexus of historic preservation and economics; developed asset-based, data-driven planning approaches for cities across the country
- Managed and led projects using Relocal, a data-based tool that uses roughly 75 distinct metrics and a community priority survey to develop tailored, parcel-level recommendations for incorporating vacant buildings and lots into neighborhood revitalization strategies
- Handled all of the marketing and design work for PlaceEconomics and RCI reports and materials
Detroit Preservation Specialist
National Trust for Historic Preservation & Michigan Historic Preservation Network
Detroit, MI (May 2013 – April 2015)
- Initiated collaborative projects that center on preservation planning issues spanning neighborhood stabilization efforts, land use analysis, preservation advocacy, and demolition strategy
- Worked closely with community development orgs, municipal and civic entities, and developers to provide technical assistance to support preservation, rehabilitation, and redevelopment in Detroit.
- Designed, organized, and managed the Detroit Historic Resource Survey, which surveyed nearly 18,000 properties in two weeks using smartphones and 50+ volunteers to inform strategic demolition decision-making; worked with numerous atypical partners and analyzed data for integration into citywide land use initiatives
- Initiated, organized, and executed the Preservation Demonstration Project in the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood that included older building maintenance workshops; youth engagement around neighborhood history and heritage; and fundraising for a brick-and-mortar rehabilitation
Adjunct Assistant Professor – Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation
New York, NY (Spring 2012 – 2013; Fall 2016)
- Taught Studio I, a foundational first semester course for graduate Historic Preservation students. Studio I equips students with skills, techniques, and critical thinking to exercise judgment as informed preservation professionals in the field (Fall 2016). Was asked to re-imagine this course under the leadership of a new program director.
- Taught Oral History and the Built Environment, a class that examined how oral history can be used to understand and interpret historic spaces, buildings, and landscapes for preservation planning (Spring 2012-2013)
Visitor Services Manager – BLDG 92 @ Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC)
Brooklyn, NY (October 2011 – April 2013)
- Oversaw the building operations of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92, a museum and visitors center. Supported BNYDC’s mission of job creation and sustainable industrial growth through formation of community partnerships and development of public programming that brings tenant awareness and drives business
- Developed partnerships with the 9/11 Museum, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Historical Society, South Street Seaport, Roosevelt Island, Urban Park Rangers, and others
- Co-created museum programming including factory tours, gallery exhibitions, oral history programs, readings and lectures
Education
Columbia University (2011)
MS, Urban Planning
MS, Historic Preservation
American University (2004)
BA, Visual Media
Awards
American Express Aspire Award
National Trust for Historic Preservation 2015
FELLOWSHIPS
Detroit Revitalization Fellow, Cohort IV (2017)
Selected as a Detroit Revitalization Fellow, a competitive national fellowship for mid-career professionals working with civic, community, and economic development organizations to drive progress in Detroit.
East-West Center - New Generation Seminar
(September 2016)
This two-week intensive fellowship centered on “Cultural Heritage and Identity in a Globalizing, Urbanizing World” and entailed travel to Honolulu, HI;Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Yangon, Myanmar.
SELECT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Historic Wilmington Foundation
(Wilmington, NC; November 2018)
Keynote Speaker: “Community Revitalization through Creative Preservation”
Restore Oregon’s Restoration Celebration
(Portland, OR; October 2016)
Keynote Speaker: “Preservation and Innovation”
New Partners for Smart Growth
(Portland, OR; February 2016)
Speaker / Organizer “Smart Decisions, Smart Growth: Practical approaches to data-powered community revitalization”
The National Trust’s PastForward Conference
(Washington DC; November 2015)
Speaker: “#CivicTech”
Community Development Summit
(Pittsburgh, PA; May 2015)
Speaker: “Let’s Get Technical about Involving Residents”
The National Trust’s PastForward Conference
(Savannah, GA; November 2014)
Speaker: “Moving Beyond Windows: Preservation in Legacy City Neighborhoods”
Missouri Preservation Alliance’s Statewide Conference
(Excelsior Springs; October 2014)
Keynote Speaker: “A Seat at the Table: Rightsizing and Preservation in Legacy Cities”
Historic Preservation in Legacy Cities Conference (Cleveland, OH; June 2014)
Opening Plenary Panelist
Speaker: “A Seat at the Table: Preservation and Blight Remediation in Detroit”
Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference (Philadelphia, PA; September 2013)
Speaker: “Building on Historic Assets”
Professional Activities
Advisor, National Trust for Historic Preservation (2017 - Present)
Secretary, Preservation Rightsizing Network (Nationwide; 2013 - 2017)
PRN brings together diverse legacy city stakeholders to share practical tools and strategies in pursuit of making preservation a more useful and valuable partner in neighborhood and city revitalization
Board Member, Seafoam Palace (Detroit, 2017-2018)
Interviewer, New York Preservation Archive Project (NY; 2013 - 2016)
Conducted in-depth oral histories and informal interviews with individuals involved in historic preservation across New York City on an as-needed basis.
Project Manager, SS Columbia Stories Initiative (Detroit; June - August 2015)
Spearheaded an oral history video project interviewing Detroiters with dynamic stories of the historic SS Columbia before she embarked on her journey to Buffalo, NY.