Support Emerging Professionals Panel Discussion

Open doors for others. Physically/Metaphorically

Open doors for others. Physically/Metaphorically

On September 24, Deqah Hussein, urban history scholar and architectural historian; Kristina Damschen Spina, VP of Marketing for Indow; Sara Dickey, Associate Directory of Business Operations for More Than Words; and Sehila Casper, Heritage Tourism Program Coordinator for the City of Austin and Board Member for Latinos in Heritage Conservation had a conversation on how to foster the next generation of cultural resource workers and how being supported by these programs shaped their careers. Watch the video above to view a recording of the conversation.

As the field assesses how the practice can shift to better represent our communities, we must also ask ourselves how we can meaningfully cultivate and foster cultural resource workers. Internships, fellowships, scholarships, etc. all exist in our toolkits, but these tools should be reevaluated to better encourage people to consider pursuing a career in cultural resources or to feel supported and empowered to start a career in this field. It was a pleasure to moderate this panel discussion as a part of the #DismantlePreservation: Let’s Keep Talking series.

I would like to give a big thank you to Indow for sponsoring this session. Indow has supported emerging professionals through events at the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s conference - PastForward, launched the Window Zine, and coordinated their own internship programs. I appreciate their continued commitment to cultivate opportunities for emerging professionals.

To help you learn about scholarship/fellowship opportunities, best strategies to establish an internship program, and more, I worked with the speakers to create a resource guide! This list is meant to be a living document, so feel free to email me@sarahmarsom.com if you have any suggestions.

Program Development/Implementation Resources:

Opportunities

This list is created in an effort to help people easily find opportunities that may help them as an emerging professional. Inclusion of these fellowships, grants, and scholarships is not an endorsement of any particular organization or program.

Fellowships/Grants/Internships: 

  • American Antiquarian Society offers both Short Term and Long Term fellowships

  • E. Geoffrey and Elizabeth Thayer Verney Fellowship: “In an effort to enhance the public’s knowledge and understanding of the heritage of Nantucket, Massachusetts, the Nantucket Historical Association offers an annual fellowship, the E. Geoffrey and Elizabeth Thayer Verney Fellowship.”

  • Getty Foundation offers a variety of residential grants and fellowships for scholars from around the world. 

  • Graham Foundation Individual Grants 

    • Production and Presentation:  “These grants assist individuals with the production-related expenses that are necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation. These projects include, but are not limited to, publications, exhibitions, installations, films, and new media projects.” 

    • Research and Development: “Research and Development Grants assist individuals with seed money for research-related expenses such as travel, documentation, materials, supplies, and other development costs. Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, and budgets.” 

  • Harrison Goodall Preservation Fellowship: “The fellowship is a short-term opportunity to pursue a unique self-directed project under the guidance of a mentor. Fellows will receive recognition for a distinguished achievement while creating original preservation training content, performing research, or enhancing leadership and management skills.”  

  • JMK Innovation Prize: “The J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks out innovators who are spearheading transformative early-stage projects in the fields of the environment, heritage conservation, and social justice.” 

  • Kress Foundation Fellowships: “Competitive fellowships supported by the Kress Foundation are awarded to art historians and art conservators in the final stages of their preparation for professional careers, as well as to students of art history and related fields who are interested in art museum education and curating.”

  • Pocantico Center Preservation Fellowship: “The Pocantico Center Preservation Fellowship is a two-week residential fellowship in historic preservation that provides the opportunity to reside and work in the historic Marcel Breuer House at Pocantico Hills, NY” 

  • Richard L. Binder Award: “The Richard L. Blinder Award will be presented biennially to an architect or other professional in a related historic preservation field for a proposal exploring architecture and preservation.” The Fitch Foundation also offers fellowships for mid-career professionals 

  • Society Architectural Historians 

    • Annual Conference Fellowship: “Each year, SAH awards approximately $25,000 in fellowships to graduate students, international speakers, and independent scholars presenting at the SAH Annual International Conference. Each fellowship award is up to $1,000 and is a reimbursable stipend to be used to offset costs of conference registration and travel, lodging, and meals directly related to the conference. “

    • H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship: “The Society of Architectural Historians’ prestigious H. Allen Brooks Travelling Fellowship will be offered for 2020 and will allow a recent graduate or emerging scholar to study by travel for one year.”

    • Research Fellowships

  • Latino Heritage Internship Program: “The Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP), created by the National Park Service (NPS) and administered in partnership with Environment for the Americas, is designed to provide internship opportunities to young adults in diverse professional fields in the National Park Service. The program helps raise awareness of our national parks and historic sites, their accessibility, and the need for the Latino community’s involvement in their preservation.'‘

Scholarships: 

Ask academic institutions and local/statewide/regional/national conferences if there are scholarships available. For example, Eastern Michigan University offers a scholarship in partnership with the Detroit Area Art Deco Society for students pursuing a degree in historic preservation (link). 

  • Association for Preservation Technology 

    • APT Conference Student Scholarships: “Through the Student Scholarships Program, students from all areas of study in the field of historic preservation/conservation submit abstracts that illustrate research or a project that they have developed to address an aspect of preservation/conservation technology.  Scholarship recipient selection is based on: the quality of a submitted abstract; how well the concepts demonstrate excellence in the student’s area of study; a personal statement; and, the appropriateness of the subject to the Conference theme. “ 

    • MARTIN WEAVER SCHOLARSHIP: The APT Student Scholarship Committee will award the Martin Weaver Student Scholarship to a student scholarship recipient as a research grant for $1,500 that is funded by the APT Endowment. 

  • Historic Preservation Memorial Guild Scholarship: “This scholarship is for a student who intends to pursue a career in or closely related to historic preservation. The student may be in their undergraduate or graduate studies, majoring in order of preference, in historic preservation, architecture, or history education at an accredited university or college.” 

  • National Trust for Historic Preservation

    • Diversity Scholarship: “The Diversity Scholarship Program supports the attendance of leaders from underrepresented communities new to preservation and of emerging preservation professionals at the National Trust's annual conference, PastForward.” 

    • Mildred Colodny Diversity Scholarship: “Up to $15,000 towards graduate school tuition; a paid summer internship with the National Trust following the student's first year of study; and support of the student's attendance at a National Preservation Conference or other National Trust training opportunity. “ 

  • Act Six: A top-flight leadership development initiative offering full scholarships for emerging urban and community leaders who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities at home.

  • Oregon Specific:

    • Ignite: A scholarship program developed in partnership with Portland State University and Kaiser Permanente, Ignite supports pre-health students in reaching their healthcare career goals. Offering a network of support for service-minded diverse leaders, Ignite scholars provide mentoring for aspiring pre-health students.

    • City Builders: Creating scholarship opportunities, in partnership with Warner Pacific University, for students with passion and a vision to transform their community. City Builders awards are partial scholarships. To inquire more about how to apply, contact us at info@portlandleadership.org

  • National Council on Public History offers student travel awards for their annual meeting: Student Project Award and the Student Travel Award.

  • American Association for State and Local History offers:

    • Douglas Evelyn Scholarship for Diversity: “The scholarship includes annual meeting registration fee, a one-year individual membership in AASLH, and $700 toward travel and hotel expenses.”

    • Small Museums Scholarship: “scholarships to any AASLH members who are full-time, part-time, paid, or volunteer employees of small museums. Each $500 scholarship will cover the cost of the conference registration and the Small Museums luncheon. Any remaining funds may be used to offset travel and/or lodging expenses.”

  • Victorian Society in America offers full and partial scholarships to attend their summer schools.

Elevating Unpopular Opinions Panel Discussion

On August 26, June Ahn, Rose Cannon, and Emma Turner-Trujillo; Co-Founders of Death to Museums, Jobie Hill; Preservation Architect and Founder of Saving Slave Houses, Bonnie McDonald; President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois, Zulmilena Then; Founder of Preserving East New York, and Liz Waytkus, Executive Director of Docomomo US came together to discuss strategies to elevate unpopular opinions. Click the video above to view a recording of the conversation.

Abandoned architecture along a backroad in Oregon.

Abandoned architecture along a backroad in Oregon.

I was delighted to organize this panel discussion as a part of the #DismantlePreservation: Let’s Keep Talking discussion series and would like to give a special thank you to Northwest Vernacular Historic Preservation Consulting for sponsoring this event.

To help you feel confident advocating for change, I worked with the speakers to create a resource guide! You’ll find organizations, articles, podcasts, and more below. This list is meant to be a living document, so feel free to email me@sarahmarsom.com if you have any suggestions.

Resources 

Organizations (in alphabetical order): 

  • Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation - “APIAHiP’s mission is to protect historic places and cultural resources significant to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans through historic preservation and heritage conservation by: (1) creating an information-sharing network which can provide support for established and emerging historic preservation programs, and also to define issues; (2) establishing educational programs for raising public awareness and impacting historic preservation policy on local, state, and national levels; and (3) increasing public and private resources for building historic preservation capacity. The term "historic preservation” and “heritage conservation" are meant to include educational and community development activities involving the preservation, conservation, and protection of tangible and intangible historic and cultural resources.”

  • Death to Museums-  “Death to Museums asks why save museums at all? The idea to “destroy” museums comes not from a place of hate. As museum workers, we see the untapped potential in museum collections and programs to challenge engrained ideologies rather than maintain them. However, we question the efficacy of changing museums from within when inequity is built into their core identity. As Tunde Wey, a New Orleans-based activist and artist, writes, “Can you renovate a burning house? Can you renovate a single room in a burning house?”” 

  • Latinos in Heritage Conservation - “Founded in 2014, LHC is the leading organization for the preservation of Latina/o places, stories, and cultural heritage in the United States. We are a diverse network of intergenerational advocates conserving Latina/o sites and living cultures in the fabric of American society, affirming the value of our history in the hemispheric struggle for social justice.”

  • Museum Hue - “Museum Hue is the leading organization dedicated to advancing Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color in the cultural field.”

  • #MuseumWorkersSpeak - “#MuseumWorkersSpeak is an action-oriented platform for social change at the intersection of labor, access, and inclusion. [They] are a collective of activist museum workers interrogating the relationship between museums’ stated commitments to social value and their internal labor practices.” To date, their Museum Workers Relief Fund has granted $500 gifts to $100 museum workers who have been furloughed or laid off by large institutions. 

  • National Organization of Minority Architects - NOMA’s mission, rooted in a rich legacy of activism, is to empower our local chapters and membership to foster justice and equity in communities of color through outreach, community advocacy, professional development and design excellence.

  • Rainbow Heritage Network - The Rainbow Heritage Network (RHN) is a national organization for the recognition and preservation of sites, history, and heritage associated with sexual and gender minorities in the United States. This includes, but is not limited to, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). 

  • Seize the Museums - “For full public control of all museums, libraries, archives, parks, and educational institutions”.

  • Society of Black Archeologists - “The vision of the Society of Black Archaeologists (SBA) is to create a strong network of archaeologists that advocates to ensure the proper treatment of African and African diaspora material culture, promotes more people of African descent to enter the field of archaeology, ensures community collaborations, raises and addresses concerns related to African peoples worldwide, and highlights the past and present achievements and contributions people of African descent have made to the field of archaeology.”

  • We Here - “We Here seeks to provide a safe and supportive community for Black and Indigenous folks, and People of Color (BIPOC) in library and information science (LIS) professions and educational programs, and to recognize, discuss, and intervene in systemic social issues that have plagued these professions both historically and continue through present time.”

 

Social Media Accounts You Should Follow: 

  • AAM Accountable - “ Holding the @AkronArtMuseum accountable to the public trust for unchecked discrimination and toxic work environment.”

  • Change the Museum - “Pressuring US museums to move beyond lip service proclamations by amplifying tales of unchecked racism.”

  • Decolonize the Art World - Anti-colonial art school for dreamers. 

  • Design As Protest - “Mobilizing our collective power to confront the violence and injustices of architecture, design, and urban planning practices.”

  • Equity By Design - “Repositioning Architecture by Equitable Practice - Equity is Everyone's Issue. Minimizing Barriers to Maximize Our Potential for Success”

  • For the Culture 2020 - “A coalition of current/former Black & Brown employees & allies united together to call out systemic racism in Museums & other cultural institutions.”

  • Indigenous Archeology Collective -  “The Indigenous Archaeology Collective is a network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars within archaeology and related fields.” 

  • MCAccountable - A coalition of workers of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago demanding accountability from their leadership.

  • No Neutral Alliance - A coalition of Black artists fighting against censorship and anti-Blackness at SFMOMA.

  • Parlour - “Parlour: gender, equity, architecture. Bringing together research, resources & informed opinion.”

  • Visitors of Color - “Blog documenting the experiences of marginalized people with museums. “

  • VMFA Reform - “The purpose of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Reform Committee is to hold museum administration accountable for their complicity in systemic racism 365 days a year.”

  • xSFM0MA - A coalition working against racism at SFMOMA.

 

Toolkits/Articles/Database:

  • OF/BY/FOR/ALL - has free toolkits, articles, and a self-assessment.  

  • The Dreamspace Project: A Workbook and Toolkit For Critical Praxis in the American Art Museum, created by Alyssa Machida.

  • The Incluseum - “a project based in Seattle, Washington that advances new ways of being a museum through critical dialogue, community building and collaborative practice related to inclusion in museums.”

  • Women Also Know History - A crowdsourced database of women and non-binary individuals whose primary occupation is historical work

  • The Guide to Managing Up and Across (Harvard Business Review) - A guide to how to present unpopular opinions to your supervisor and making change within institutions.

 

Books/Podcasts: 

  • Cultura Conscious - Paula Santos hosts conversations “with other museum and cultural workers, educators, artists, activists, and leaders about how we work with our communities and the public at large.”

  • FWD: Museums - A yearly journal produced by graduate students at the University of Illinois at Chicago that “strives to create a space for challenging, critiquing, and providing alternative modes of thinking and production within and outside of museums.”

  • Opening up the Museum - A TEDxSanta Cruz Talk by former director Nina Simon of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History talking about engaging the diverse community around the museum and being okay with losing established donors and board members in the process. Also read her book, “The Art of Relevance”.

Call To Action: Labor Equity in Preservation

UPDATE: Click here to see Phase 2 of the Labor Equity Initiative

To promote the Historic Preservation field as a professional discipline and to increase our capacity to sustain our ability to support our communities, we must advocate for preservation professionals to receive equitable compensation.  There are two areas to address to promote salary equity: 

  1. We can no longer support unpaid internships in our field

  2. We can no longer allow organizations and job boards to impede salary transparency by omitting compensation in job descriptions.

Reach out to the following historic preservation job boards and challenge them to no longer share unpaid internships and that they require salary ranges for all job postings:

  • Preservenet; UPDATE: As of October 2020, all positions listed must include compensation.

  • Preservation Directory; UPDATE: Preservation Directory is in the process of updating their language for job board submissions.

  • National Council on Public History; UPDATE: As of September 9, 2020 all positions listed must include a salary, salary range, hourly rate, salary code, or some other measure of compensation. 

  • National Trust for Historic Preservation; UPDATE: The National Trust for Historic Preservation has modified their job board for available NTHP positions to include salary information. Their FORUM job board as of October 13, 2020 now requires “all listings to include at least a salary range (or a minimum salary)” and they “will no longer accept uncompensated internships for listing.”

  • The Historic Preservation Professionals group on Facebook was not a part of the original list of job boards to be petitioned for change. As of December 2020, the group moderators voted to require compensation for part time or full time jobs and to no longer allow unpaid internships.

Why this matters - Sample Talking Points:

  • Unpaid internships devalue all preservation professional positions.

  • Unpaid internships limit professional development opportunities to the few instead of the many.

  • Statistically women and people of color are less likely to negotiate salary. Not disclosing salary in a job listing puts these individuals at a disadvantage and perpetuates the wage gap.   

  • If you are an organization looking to hire someone, you will be starting the relationship out with full honesty and transparency. You’ll also generate an applicant pool that will confidently be interested in accepting this position knowing that the compensation will provide a sustainable income.  

Sample Letter: 

Dear >Insert Organization Name<, 

Thank you for providing an accessible platform for preservation professionals to seek jobs.  If the cultural sector wants equality we can no longer support unpaid internships and we must elevate the standards for job listings. Please modify your job board to no longer allow unpaid internships/fellowships and to require the posting of salary ranges. 

For years the cultural sector has discussed the negative implications of unpaid internships and it is now time to stop this practice. Unpaid internships systematically devalue all preservation professionals’ work and ensure only a limited number individuals can pursue entry level positions in the field. If your organization believes, as it has said in the past, that the cultural sector should diversify who it hires; this is a fundamental step. 

Adding salary ranges is also integral to salary equity. Women and people of color are statistically less likely to negotiate, thus not sharing a salary rage furthers the wage gap. These standards not only benefit the job seeker, but they will also benefit the employer. Job seekers will not waste their time on job applications if they do not know if the job will provide an income needed to take care of themselves and/or their family. I was told recently by someone who has helped hire preservation positions for their workplace " I've seen this first hand with our job applicants- when we list a range- especially a competitive range- we get better quality applicants. Hands. Down."

Please amend your job board submission standards for the betterment of the cultural sector. For more information, please read the following articles >Insert Links for Additional Information<. 

Sincerely, 

>Insert Your Name<

Want to learn more about the importance of salary ranges? Click these links!

If you want to learn more strategies to better the preservation profession, please join me at the Dismantle Preservation Virtual Unconference on July 28, 2020.

This page will be updated when the respective job board policies have been modified.

How to sew a Tiny Activist Doll

Whether you are stitching a Tiny Jane Jacobs or Tiny I.M. Pei this tutorial will help you successfully sew your own Tiny Activist Doll! Buy a Sew Your Own Kit HERE.

TinyIMPeicutout.jpg

🧵 Step 1: Cut ✂️the pattern slightly outside the dashed lines. Do not cut between the legs. Keeping the legs “attached” at this stage makes sewing a bit easier. 

sewingjanejacobs.jpg

🧵 Step 2: Match up the fabric, so that the printed side facing inward. Do your best to overlap the body - if you cut ✂️closely around the dashed edges you can use the lines as a guide for a perfect overlay. Once you have your sides match, you can pin 📍them together to prevent any wiggles while stitching. ⭐️I recommend starting your stitching on the doll’s torso -a bit above its hips and stopping stitching a bit below the armpit on that same side (this will make flipping easier). If you choose to hand stitch your doll, please do your tiniest neatest stitches possible to avoid any future stuffing blow-outs. 😬

flippingtinyjane.jpg

🧵 Step 3: Okay, now this is the hardest part - flipping your Tiny Activist right side out! First you need to snip into the corners (armpits, neck, outside/inside thighs) and trim around the curves (refer to photo). Next you need to pull out your chop sticks (no chopsticks? no worries - grab a couple of pens). You will insert the base of a chopstick down an arm or leg and using the “pointier” side of the chopstick, you will push up into the body. Once you get it started you’ll be able to roll the limbs into the torso. Do this for both of the arms and legs. Now that the limbs are all inside your doll’s torso, you will reach into the approx.1-inch hole you left on the side and pull out the legs, the arms, and then finally the head.

StuffingTinyIMPei.jpg

🧵 Step 4: After flipping the doll to be right side out, use your chopstick🥢 (or pen🖊) to fully push out Tiny Pei’s ears, Tiny Jane’s dress, and both of their heads, hands, and feet. Now you are ready to stuff! Each sew-your-own kit comes with poly-fil, but you could use rice, beans, or a combination of things to stuff your doll. I like to start by stuffing the doll’s head, because it is quick gratification. Next stuff the arms and legs. Pinch off small pieces of stuff and put them at the joint where the limb starts. Your chopstick will help push the stuffing into the limbs. Once you are done with those, fill the doll’s stomach.

TinyJaneTinyPei.jpg

🧵 Step 5: The final step!!! Get a thread that matches your Tiny Activist’s attire and seal your doll however you prefer. You can do a slip/ladder stitch, basic stitch, something decorative, or something else that tickles your fancy. Choose your preferred stitch, seal the hole, and then take your Tiny Activist on an adventure! Make sure to tag your adventure photos with #tinyjanejacobsor #tinyimpei. 

Guest Blog and Video for Spoonflower

Watch me make this banner on the blog!

Watch me make this banner on the blog!

“In honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, we sat down with Sarah Marsom, an Ohio-based heritage resource consultant and Spoonflower maker, to learn more about the history of women’s right to vote and the suffrage banners that helped spread their message. As craftivism becomes more prevalent in today’s culture, Sarah shares how the women of the past used their craft to share their voice and how you can continue to carry on the legacy they left behind.” Click here to read the full blog and watch the short video.

Continuing to Grow Thanks to Conferences (& other pursuits)

As I continue to grow personally and professionally, I gain a greater understanding of what I need for both continuing education and my consulting business. For 2020, I am looking forward to attending the conferences listed below - keep reading and find out why I selected these events.

Reach out (me@sarahmarsom.com) if you would like me to be a part of your 2020 program schedule (conference or special events).

Midwest Craft Con

When: February 28- March 1

Where: Columbus, Ohio

Why: A conference that teaches small business strategies and offers hands-on craft workshops… can you get better than that? I have yet to find a preservation conference that teaches practical strategies for small businesses owners- taxes, marketing, goal planning etc.. While a crafty business is not exactly the same as preservation consulting, there are great tidbits for a business owner of any kind who runs a niche business. 

The defunct Attamaha Apiaries is a couple hours east of Atlanta.

The defunct Attamaha Apiaries is a couple hours east of Atlanta.

Annual Meeting of the National Council on Public History

When: March 18- 21

Where: Atlanta, Georgia 

Why: The National Council on Public History’s conference has been recommended to me by a variety of preservationists. When Brian Whetstone invited me to participate in a session he was creating for NCPH, I happily accepted. I will be a panelist at the conference’s “ Rethinking Our Preservation Toolkit: Envisioning an Inclusive Future for Historic Preservation” discussion alongside Eddie Torrez, Jinny Turman, Brian Whetstone, and William Stoutamire. 

New York Statewide Preservation Conference

When: March 26-28

Where: Syracuse, New York 

Why: Syracuse is home to the Everson Museum, the first museum designed by I.M. Pei. The New York Preservation Conference has partnered with the Everson Museum to celebrate the state’s modern architecture. I will be facilitating the workshop- “Crafing a Future for Modernism.” Workshop participants will have the opportunity to sew their own Tiny I.M. Pei, while discussing strategies to preserve modern design. This event is free for Everson Museum members and NY Preservation Conference attendees. 

The MHPN conference in Holland (2019), was shortly after the community’s annual tulip festival!

The MHPN conference in Holland (2019), was shortly after the community’s annual tulip festival!

Michigan Historic Preservation Network Conference

When: May 14-16

Where: Kalamazoo, Michigan 

Why: Ever since attending graduate school at Eastern Michigan University, I have made a concerted effort to go back to Michigan as frequently as possible for friends, work, and relaxation. It’s always a pleasure to attend MHPN’s annual conference and I am looking forward to being a part of the “Breaking Barriers on the Frontline: Annual Opening Plenary Session.”

Missouri Preservation Conference

When: June 3-5

Where: Jefferson City, Missouri 

Why: It is truly an honor to be invited to keynote a preservation conference. My Missouri keynote will focus on resiliency, learning how to fail, and pushing preservation forward. Statewide conferences offer intimate networking opportunities, a wealth of knowledge on the area’s history, and offer opportunities to visit unexpected places. I look forward to seeing what Jefferson City has to offer!

Is there anything better than getting a sweet treat from a small business housed in an old building with your conference buds?

Is there anything better than getting a sweet treat from a small business housed in an old building with your conference buds?

FORUM, the National Alliance for Preservation Commissions’s biannual conference

When: July 22-26

Where: Tacoma, Washington 

Why: Conferences are an opportunity to expand a practitioners toolkit and to encourage them to try new strategies. Having attended previously (Des Moines - 2018), I know that this conference has a strong focus on practical strategies. I’m looking forward to being a part of FORUM by speaking on strategies to make a presentation inclusive at the NAPC’s “Train the Trainer” session for CAMP trainers and to be a part of the on-site assistance team.

ImpactInvest: The Real Estate Investing Conference

When: August 14-15

Where: Columbus, Ohio

Why: The Housing JV team is thoughtfully empowering others to be developers with their online courses and annual event ImpactInvest. I love being an advisor to this development company and am very excited to attend ImpactInvest for the first time! While I’ve worked with developers, I have been trepidatious to determine if I want to become one myself. I’m hoping this conference helps me determine if incremental development is the right investment strategy for me. 

Heritage Ohio Annual Preservation and Revitalization Conference

When: September 1-2

Where: Springfield, Ohio

Why: As a Heritage Ohio board member it is always a pleasure to attend an annual conference and meet the organization’s members, learn what is happening around the state, and explore a community alongside my peers. With a Frank Lloyd Wright home, a visionary art space, and a downtown renaissance happening, I think Springfield will have a wide variety of preservation inspiration. 

A teahouse at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami.

A teahouse at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami.

PastForward, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual conference

When: October 28-30

Where: Miami, Florida

Why: When I was invited to join PastForward’s conference planning committee, I knew I’d want to go to Miami to see what the team creates in person (+ who doesn’t want to enjoy a few days in Miami).  

Want a few strategies to help you decide on what conferences are right for you? Click this link to learn a few ways to determine your continuing education goals.